What Is Shio Koji and What Is It Used For?

November 18, 2022

Shio koji is a popular Japanese condiment frequently used in marinades or as seasoning in Japanese cuisine. Its unique qualities make it an excellent ingredient for tenderising meat or firming up fresh fish prior to cooking, though it is also prized as a subtle (yet delicious) way to enhance the flavour of your food.

In this article, we’re going to discuss shio koji, including how it is made, how it is used, and what it can bring to your cooking.

What Is Shio Koji?

Shio koji is a white, lumpy paste made by combining koji spores (sometimes written as kōji or kouji), water, rice and salt allowing them to ferment. The resulting product – shio koji – is rich in natural enzymes that work as powerful flavour enhancers for a wide variety of ingredients.

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How Is Shio Koji Made?

If you have the time and the equipment, you can make shio koji at home with just a handful of ingredients. You need koji rice (that’s rice grains mixed with the kōji bacteria aspergillus oryzae), fine sea salt, and mineral water. You might see koji rice labelled as rice koji in some stores – don’t worry: it’s the same thing. You will also need a sterilised jar into which you can mix these ingredients and set them aside to ferment for 24hrs at 56deg C. If that sounds like too much hassle, you can buy ready-made shio koji from our online store.

What Does Shio Koji Taste Like?

Regular shio koji has a subtle taste, combining the salty, umami flavour of soy sauce with some sweet, floral notes from the kōji bacteria. It’s a delicious and healthy alternative to salt, but really comes into its own as a flavour enhancer for other ingredients. You can make your shio koji more flavorful by adding garlic, onion, or lemon during the fermentation process.

How Do You Use Shio Koji?

Shio koji is a versatile condiment, frequently used as a marinade, a pickling medium, and a form of seasoning:

As a marinade

Shio koji is a fermented product and, when utilised as a marinade, the koji spores break down the enzymes and convert proteins and starches into complex sugars and amino acids which bring out natural sweetness and umami. Conversely, when used to marinate fish, it draws out some of the moisture, leaving the flesh firmer and less likely to break apart when being pan-fried. Both processes release the natural flavours of the meat or fish, creating a more succulent dish, but other ingredients can be added to impart different tastes to the meal.

As a pickling medium

Shio koji works well (and quickly) as a pickling medium. You can pickle vegetables like cucumbers or daikon in shio koji and have them ready for eating within 24 hours! Just be sure to wipe away the shio koji for the best pickle experience. You can even cover hard-boiled eggs in shio koji for up to a week to get a Japanese-inspired version of the classic British pickled egg.

As a seasoning

You can mix shio koji directly into soups and sauces as a seasoning. The complex umami flavours make it an interesting and healthy alternative to salt. You can even forgo the lumpiness of the ingredient by putting it through a blender first until it is smooth. Alternatively, you bypass that step by purchasing a bottle of liquid koji, which retains all those subtle, savoury flavour notes.

Where To Buy Shio Koji in the UK

If you’re looking for high-quality shio koji or liquid shio to buy in the UK, look no further than our online store, available with fast delivery across the UK.

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