Nama Shio Koji - Rice-malt Seasoning, 7.05oz by Marukome

This stuff really is amazing. All it actually is is salt mixed with the same live bacteria they use to make sake and miso. It adds a saltiness to food but the amazing this is it adds "umami" or an extra depth of flavor to whatever you use it on. I only used it so far on meats. I made, roasted chicken, pork chop, veal cutlet, ground beef and Cod fish and shrimp. I don't recommend it for veal, maybe I left it on the cutlets too long, it was a little too salty and it lost it's veal taste. All the others, it not only improved the flavor, it changed the texture of the meats and made them super tender. The chicken is juicy and tender, the beef and pork the same. The chicken however is the biggest improvement, I left it on 2 chicken halves overnight and then roasted them, not only did they taste better and more juicy, they brown much better. If you use the boneless breast it tends to burn when frying. I added it to ground beef and that too came out delicious but it does brown up much faster, so you need to adjust your heat accordingly if cooking it in a pan or on grill. It reminds me of MSG in that it gives the umami flavor but it also tenderizes and transforms the meat and seafood. Amazing stuff. Now the cost is a bit much but you can make your own but I'd rather buy it already made as it is a tricky process and you need practice to get it right. I am too lazy. Try it, you will get addicted!

Works great in sauces. It’s saltier than what I normally use but still has great taste and umami.

New experience for me. Recently purchased grass fed beef very lean and tasty but not tender. After using shio koji transformation was unbelievable and I have tried many marinades and techniques.After just a few hours grilled a couple of New York strips and they were superb in tenderness and enhanced flavor. I will extend marinade time for emulating aged beef.

I'm somewhat of a foodie, and when I saw an article in Bon Appétit (November issue), I had to try it. I ordered the above, it arrived quickly, and I was delighted to find complete instructions on the package. Unfortunately for me, they were all in Japanese..but no matter. It is of note that this preparation is salted. I used the baked hen recipe in B-A without added salt. It involves rubbing the mix underneath the skin of an 4 lb hen, letting it sit overnight in the 'frig and baking normally. My wife and I agreed it was the best roast hen we'd had. Leftovers were just as good. It was also good on steak

Nice package

I completely disagree that this is comparable to using salt in a dish. I don't eat meat, so I used this on tofu and it completely transformed both texture and taste. Turned my otherwise bland tofu into this amazing soft, moist, cheesy and slightly salty deliciousness that is difficult to describe. If you've ever had the flaming cheese (Saganaki) at a Greek restaurant, that's what it reminds me of. I used extra firm tofu, sliced the well drained block into desired thickness, brushed with shio koji, marinated in fridge 2-3 days, pan sautéed. Keep a close eye on it as it burns easily. This will create a nice charred outside layer on whatever you are grilling/ cooking. The enzymes in the koji actually ferment your food so I would recommend marinating at least 8 hours or overnight.Shipping from Japan was faster than expected, less than 2 weeks. I love this so much that I ordered the 20 oz. tub of Cold Mountain Koji (not available on Amazon).Check out this Japanese website, which has more info on the product, how it's made as well as recipes:http://www.kojiya.jp/shiokoji/

It was either the quality of the product or I just didn't like the taste and smell of the end product. I marinated a pounded flat pork tenderloin in it for 24 hours (a Bon Appetit recipe). The pork was very tender, but it was difficult for me to get past the strong and lingering smell as a result of the cooked pork that had marinated in the shio koji.

I put this in a ziploc with pork tenderloin (segmented into 2" chunks), squeezed air out, and then let sit in the fridge for 24 hours. Then grilled initially hot to blacken a bit, then after turning over meat I turned the heat down a bit and let it cook ~20mins until 170F. Was amazing flavor. everyone in family loved it, even the 10-year old.We put the meat in a basmati rice bowl with a sautéed mix of kale, roasted corn, bean sprouts, scallions, sesame seeds and some Cindy's Kitchen Double Ginger and Lime sauce.