3 Easy Ways With Shio-Koji

When you think of Japanese food, you’d be forgiven if “fermented foods” is not what comes to mind. However, staples in the Japanese kitchen such as soy sauce, miso, sake, mirin (sweet cooking wine) and rice vinegar are all fermented foods. This month I want to introduce you to a lesser known, traditional Japanese ingredient called shio-koji (塩麹). Shio-koji is a coarse paste that is made from fermenting koji (rice inoculated with a special type of fungus) salt and water. The end result is a mild salty-sweet paste that is packed with enzymes and umami. “Uma-what?” Actually, you are all probably familiar with the mass produced version of umami, MSG. Umami is used to describe the fifth category of tastes (the others being sweet, salty, sour and bitter). It can be translated from Japanese as “deliciousness” or “good savoury taste”. Coined in 1908 by a chemist at Tokyo University, it has only been recognized by western scientists in recent years although it has its skeptics, too.

So going back to shio-koji, that umami means it enhances the flavour of foods and is great as a marinade for fish or meat. It can be used to make quick pickles (tsukemono) or salad dressings and can essentially be used as a salt substitute, lowering the overall salt content of dishes. There was a shio-koji craze in Japan a few years ago and for good reason. Not only is it incredibly versatile and tastes great but it’s good for you, too (the health benefits of fermented foods requires a whole other article). Amongst other things, shio-koji has been described as the new MSG, the next soy sauce and the miracle condiment. Luckily for those of us living in Japan, it’s readily available in most supermarkets and isn’t very expensive. I imagine it’s harder to get outside Japan so I definitely encourage you to try it while you’re here. There are countless recipes out there but here are 3 simple ones I like to get you started.

 

Happy experimenting!

Helen Yuan

 

1. Grilled Salmon

The shio-koji and mirin mixture tenderizes the fish and when grilled, it caramelizes, resulting in a mild teriyaki-like flavour.

 

>> Serves 1

>> Prep time: 5 minutes (plus ½ hour marinating time)

>> Cooking time: 6-8 minutes

 

Ingredients

1 small piece of salmon

1 Tbsp. shio-koji

1 tsp. mirin (sweet cooking wine, optional but adds a subtle sweetness)

 

Method

One: Mix the shio-koji and mirin in a small bowl.

Two: Spread mixture on both sides of the fish and marinate for around ½ an hour. (If you don’t have time it’s fine to grill it straight away but it will be less tender and have less flavour.)

Three: Grill on medium heat for around 4-5 minutes or until browned. Turn the fish over and grill for a further 2-3 minutes or until browned to your liking. Keep a close eye on it after turning as it can burn easily.

Four: It’s delicious with some steamed rice and a salad or some blanched greens.

Quick Tip

• I usually line the tray under my grill with foil to make cleaning easier.

 

2. Daikon, Cucumber and Carrot Pickle

This fresh, crunchy and delicious pickle goes well with a heavy meal or is good as a healthy snack.

 

>> Serves 1-2 as a side dish

>> Prep time: 5-10 minutes (plus an hour marinating time)

 

Ingredients
2 x 1.5cm slices of daikon, peeled (large white Japanese radish)

dash of chili flakes or ½ a small dried red chili, finely chopped

6 thin slices of carrot

1 cucumber

1 Tbsp. shio-koji

½ tsp. sesame oil

¼ Tbsp. white vinegar (I used rice vinegar)

 

Method
One: Trim the ends of the cucumber and peel if desired. Cut a small piece diagonally, slightly rotate the cucumber and cut diagonally. Continue cutting this way until the whole cucumber has been cut.

Two: Cut each daikon slice into 3 lengths, and cut each piece in the same way as the cucumber.

Three: Cut the carrot slices into very fine strips.

Four: Place all the ingredients in a ziplock bag and gently massage the vegetables to coat them with the sauce. Squeeze out the air, seal it, and place in the fridge. For best results, refrigerate for at least an hour and eat within 1-2 days.

 

Quick Tips

• For a stripy effect for the cucumbers, alternate between peeling and not peeling the skin.
• You can just cut the cucumber into thick slices and cube the daikon if you prefer but the rangiri method of cutting described above creates more surface area so the flavours can be better
  absorbed. Plus it looks nice.
• If you don’t have ziplock bags just combine the ingredients in a bowl and cover with cling wrap. Ideally, take it out and mix it once or twice so everything gets evenly coated with the sauce.
• The top end of the daikon is sweeter than the root end which can have a bit of a kick. This makes it better for pickles and for eating raw in salads.

 

3. Shio-koji Pumpkin Slices

This is ridiculously simple and best of all, tastes great. This is perfect for when you want one more dish or want to add some colour to your meal. Delicious on its own, I imagine it’d be great cut into smaller pieces to be tossed through a salad or pasta dish, too.

>> Serves 1 as a side dish

>> Prep time: 5 minutes

>> Cooking time: 4 minutes

 

Ingredients

¼ of a pumpkin quarter

1 tsp. shio-koji

 

Method

One: Rinse the pumpkin skin and cut the pumpkin in half crosswise. Cut each piece lengthwise into 1cm slices (about 10 slices in total).

Two: Lay the pumpkin pieces on a microwaveable plate and spread the shio-koji evenly over them.

Three: Cover with a microwave lid or cling wrap and microwave on high for 2 minutes.

Four: Turn pieces over and microwave on high for 2 more minutes.