Koji Dashi

Koji Dashi

Dashi plus the koji, minus the fish.

Dashi is the name given to the Japanese master stock, of which there are a few variations, but most commonly containing kombu, shiitake and bonito flakes. Dashi is the product of thousands of years of Japanese tradition and culinary exploration, with its first recorded mention dating back to 700 AD, but its origins have been speculated to be as far back as 16,000 years! Originally a combination of boiled shellfish and fish bones, different regional and religious influences have shaped it into the staple it is today. This version combines the more contemporary ingredients of dashi (shiitake and kombu) with the almighty power of koji for you to use as a base to make broth, soup, marinades and more. Enjoy!

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 check/taste your ferments regularly to see what you like best!

While testing, I fermented this in the refrigerator. This not only ensured minimal risk of other microbial growth, but also yielded an overall sweeter ferment. If you want to "set it and forget it", I recommend fridge fermentation. But for room temp ferments, be sure to keep a closer eye on it. Check out my notes below the recipe ↓↓↓

Prep Time: 0.5 hours
Ferment Time: 1-6 months (shorter for room temp and longer for fridge fermentation)

Ingredients and Estimated Measurements:

  1. 200g long grain rice koji
  2. 25g dried kombu (dashi-grade seaweed)
  3. 25g dried shiitake mushrooms
  4. 12.5g sea salt

 

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Step by Step Guide

  • 1. Koji

    Long grain koji will yield a more savory finished product, but any koji will work for this recipe.

    GET KOJI HERE 

  • 2. Ratios

    1 part veggies : 4 parts koji
    Ex: 100g shiitake and seaweed : 400g koji. Take note of the weight of all listed ingredients before proceeding.

  • 3. Water

    Tare your scale and pour enough water to fully submerge all ingredients. Take note of the weight of the water. The amount of water you use will ultimately depend on the container you're fermenting in.

  • 4. Salt

    Take the weight of the veggies, koji, and water, and calculate 5% of that total weight to get the amount of salt you need. To get 5%, simply multiply the total weight of ingredients and water by 0.05.
    Ex: 1000g ingredients + water * 0.05 = 50g salt.

  • 5. Time and Temperature

    This ferment will not be as active as others, as it uses ingredients that don't have a lot of accessible sugar like fruits and veggies. Longer ferment times are key to extracting maximum flavor from each ingredient.

  • 6. Weigh it down!

    Keeping things submerged is important for 2 main reasons:
    1) it mitigates contamination risk
    2) all ingredients ferment evenly
    For the weights I recommend, click below:

    VIEW ALL EQUIPMENT 

WRITE THIS DOWN

Notes and Key Reminders

  1. I tested this ferment again with the same ingredients and ratios, but I blended the dry kombu and mushrooms into a powder before fermenting. This yielded a faster ferment and a more savory flavor.
  2. If you have access to a smoker, use it! Smoke the shrooms, smoke the seaweed, and follow the recipe as laid out.
  3. Ferment time is completely personal preference, but I recommend a month at least. Taste it as it matures to see what you like!
  4. The liquid this ferment produces can be used as a marinade for any protein you like, or as the base for an amazing miso soup.
  5. The solids can be dehydrated into a terrifically complex seasoning salt for salads, sushi, soups, and so much more. Explore with impunity!
  6. Hydrating the seaweed during the fermentation process makes it produce slime. Don't panic! This is normal. It's just the seaweed doing its thing.
  7. This recipe can absolutely use a higher ratio of shiitake/kombu to koji, but salt ratios should be increased to 10% to ensure a stable ferment.

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