Marukome, Nama Shio Koji, Cultured Rice Seasoning, 200g
Live koji paste, the original all-purpose Japanese seasoning.
Shio koji (塩糀) is a cultured rice seasoning of rice koji, salt and water, a living culture whose active enzymes tenderise protein and build umami on contact. Marukome's Nama Shio Koji (生塩糀) is the raw paste form: thick and porridge-like with visible rice grains, made with 100% Japanese-grown rice. "Nama" (生) means raw, so this is unpasteurised with its enzymes intact. Rub it into meat, stir it into a braise, or use it as a marinade base. One paste, dozens of jobs. 200g squeeze pouch.
Going through a lot? The same seasoning comes in a 500g pack.
Why Chefs Choose This
- Live enzymes (nama): unpasteurised, so the enzymes are fully active for maximum tenderising and umami.
- 100% Japanese rice: made with domestically grown rice, no shortcuts.
- Paste format: the thick, grainy texture clings to protein better than a liquid for dry rubs and marinades.
- Marukome pedigree: Japan's largest miso maker, brewing koji products in Nagano since 1854.
How to Use
- Protein marinade: spread a thin layer over chicken, pork, fish or tofu, roughly 10% by weight, for 30 minutes to overnight.
- Grilling: the rice sugars promote browning, so coat meat before grilling for a deeper char.
- Simmered dishes: stir into stews and braises for a rounded, savoury depth without soy sauce.
- Dressings: blend with oil and vinegar for a textured, umami-rich dressing.
Shio koji (塩糀, salt koji) is one of Japan's oldest seasonings, made by combining rice koji, rice inoculated with the kōji mould Aspergillus oryzae, with salt and water and leaving it to mature. The koji's enzymes, mainly proteases and amylases, break down protein and starch, which is why shio koji both tenderises and deepens flavour in a single step. Long a quiet workhorse of the home kitchen, it found a wider audience with chefs in the 2010s as a way to replace several seasoning and curing steps with one.
Learn more: The All-Purpose Wonder Seasoning: Shio Koji
What is the difference between shio koji paste and liquid shio koji?
Both are cultured from the same base of rice koji, salt and water, but the format changes how you use them. The paste keeps the whole cultured rice grains, giving a thick texture that clings to surfaces; it suits direct-contact jobs like dry rubs and thick marinades where you want the enzymes pressed against the protein. The grains also caramelise in cooking, adding colour. Liquid shio koji is the pressed extract: easier to measure, it dissolves cleanly into sauces and dressings and scorches less readily at high heat. Neither is better, they are different tools. Paste for contact, liquid for integration.
| Type | Nama shio koji 生塩糀 (raw cultured rice seasoning) |
| Brand | Marukome (brewing since 1854) |
| Rice | 100% Japanese-grown rice |
| Style | Nama 生 (raw, unpasteurised, live enzymes) |
| Net Weight | 200g (squeeze pouch) |
| Origin | Japan |
| Storage | Refrigerate after opening; a live product, keep chilled for best activity |
What is shio koji?
Shio koji is a traditional Japanese seasoning made from rice koji, rice inoculated with the koji mould, combined with salt and water. The culture produces active enzymes, mainly proteases and amylases, that break down protein and starch on contact. This is why shio koji tenderises meat and fish while building umami at the same time. It has been used in Japanese kitchens for centuries and drew global attention in the 2010s as chefs found it could replace several seasoning and tenderising steps with one application.
What does nama (raw) mean on shio koji?
Nama (生) means raw or unpasteurised. A nama shio koji has not been heat-treated, so the enzymes from the koji culture are still fully active, and it is those enzymes that do the tenderising. Pasteurised versions are more shelf-stable but have reduced enzymatic activity. For kitchens using shio koji mainly as a tenderiser, the nama version gives noticeably better results, which is why it needs to be kept chilled.
Can shio koji replace salt in recipes?
Partially. Shio koji contains salt, so it will season food, but it also adds umami, a subtle rice sweetness and enzymatic tenderising that plain salt cannot. When substituting, use roughly three times the weight of shio koji as you would salt, and ease back on other umami sources in the dish. The result tastes rounder and more complex than salt alone. It will not replicate the clean, neutral hit of plain salt in every case, but for proteins, soups and marinades it is an upgrade.
SKU : H1102