The Ultimate Guide to
Shio Koji

The modern chef's secret weapon: how to make it and how to use it.

What is shio koji?

Shio koji (塩麹) is a Japanese fermented seasoning made typically from rice koji, salt, and water. Shio koji acts as a natural umami-rich flavor enhancer, tenderizer, and marinade. This fermented paste has a pleasant flavor of its own, too, known for its perfectly sweet/umami balance and earthy aroma.


You can think of shio koji as an all-purpose seasoning! Use it in place of regular salt to add instant umami and depth of flavor to any dish. Want a super charged marinade? Shio koji. Comforting, low-effort soup? Shio koji. I'll say it again, the possibilities are truly endless. Check the Fermenter's Notes at the bottom of the page to dive deeper.

How is shio koji made?

Shio koji might just be the easiest koji-based ferment you can make - and it might also be the tastiest.

Koji, regardless of what its grown on (rice, barley, pretzels, etc), is the most important element of shio koji. After combining your koji (we recommend rice koji) with salt water using the ratios and percentages below, ferment the mixture at room temperature for 1-4 weeks, stirring daily.

After fermenting, the mixture can be left chunky or blended into a smooth paste - a paste will spread more easily.

With so few ingredients in this recipe, quality is extremely important.

Find premium rice koji

TRY THIS: Add rice koji directly to your favorite soy sauce and ferment for 1-6 months to create a shoyu koji.


The Food Science Behind Shio Koji's Power

Shio koji transforms and enhances the flavors of all your favorite foods using the powerful enzymes that koji provides, particularly protease and amylase. By combining koji with salt water, these enzymes can move more freely, amplifying their flavor-making power.
Long story short: food + enzymes = more flavor!

Uses for Shio Koji

Like we've said - shio koji can be used to enhance just about anything. Here are a few templates for applying shio koji to your everyday cooking:

1. Marinades/wet rubs - let enzymes supercharge the marinating power for any veggie or protein.

2. Dressings - throw a spoonful in your vinaigrette and toss with anything from potatoes to lettuce.

3. Sauces - got a pan sauce that needs a boost? Toss it in.

4. Soups - want a slow-simmered depth of flavor in half the time? Toss it in.

For a few examples of these uses, see "More Shio Koji Recipes" below.

Now, it's time to make it!

The Complete Guide to Shio Koji

How to Make Shio Koji

Shio koji - savory, simple, and incredibly transformative.

Shio koji is a relatively new invention, with it first being commercialized in Japan in 2007. It's a simple ferment of rice koji, water, and salt. "Shio" directly translates to "salt". Think of shio koji as the new, savory counterpart to amazake - but don't let that limit how you use them! Amazake can be used with savory ingredients in the same way shio koji can be used with sweet ingredients. The possibilities are endless.

NOTE: All ferments, by nature, will be completely unique. And that's a beautiful thing! Ferment times are relative to ambient temperature, humidity, and freshness of ingredients - keep an open mind and taste your ferments as they age to see what you like best! The world (and kitchen) is your oyster.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Ferment Time: 1-3 weeks (or as long as you like)
Ferment Temp: Room temperature

Ingredients and Estimated Measurements:

 

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How to Make Shio Koji: A Step-by-Step Guide

  • 1. Koji

    Umami rice koji will yield a more savory
    final product, but any koji will work for this
    recipe.

    Seriously, any koji. I've even seen this recipe done with it done with mame koji, or koji that is grown directly onto soy beans.

    GET KOJI HERE 

  • 2. Ratios

    1 part dried koji : 1.5 parts water
    Ex: 100g koji : 150g water
    While a 1:1 ratio is common, we've found
    that a little extra water is needed when using dried rice koji, hence the 1:1.5 ratio

    NOTE: the big visual cue you're looking for with this is submersion. If koji is sticking up above the surface of the water, add more water and adjust the salt accordingly.

  • 3. Salt

    Take the weight of the koji and water, and
    calculate 10% of that total weight to get
    the amount of salt you need. To get 10%,
    simply multiply the total weight of
    ingredients and water by 0.10.
    Ex: 250g ingredients + water * 0.10 = 25g
    salt. See more notes below

  • 4. Time and Temperature

    Time: Shio koji can be fermented for 1 week, or 100 weeks - it's totally up to you.

    Temperature: heat will accelerate shio koji's fermentation process, and cold will slow it. To keep things simple, I recommend fermenting at room temperature.

  • 5. Equipment

    Shio koji doesn't need any fancy
    equipment - just a solid and sanitized
    mason jar.
    NOTE: Make sure to sanitize whatever
    container you're fermenting in!

    VIEW EQUIPMENT HERE 

  • 6. Stirring

    To keep the mixture fermenting evenly, and to prevent any wild yeast settling on the surface, it's recommended to stir (and taste!) your shio koji daily until you're happy with the flavor. After this point - store it in the fridge for as long as you need!

More Shio Koji Recipes

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Fermenter Notes and Key Reminders

1. Shio koji is a blank slate - you can really play around with it and let your imagination go wild.
2. Infusions: what flavors do you already enjoy? Alliums? Mushrooms? Throw 'em in. A garlic shio koji is a transcendental experience. Start with a 1:2 ratio of infusion ingredient : koji. Ex: 50g garlic:100g koji and adjust your salt accordingly.
3. Salt ratios can also be played with, too - I've found great success with 5% salt in my shio, but I don't recommend going lower than that. Shorter ferment times require less salt for stability, while longer ferment times require ~10% salt by total weight.
4. Quick Shio: An even quicker version of shio koji can be made by combining the following ingredients: 150ml spring water, 75g koji flour (just dried and blended koji into a fine powder), 25g sea salt. Leave at room temp for 12 hours, fridge afterwards. Ready in as little as 36 hours. You won't have the deeper, more complex flavors of a longer aged shio koji, but its the fastest way to get those enzymes energized. (credit: Wade Fox, @foxamongbears)

5. Freezer clarification: If you want all the flavor and enzymes without all the rice sediment, they can be effectively separated by blending the finished shio koji, freezing, and then slowly thawing through a coffee filter at room temp. Sediment can be saved and dehydrated for umami-boosted seasonings! (highly recommend, have fun!)

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