Shizuoka's food cultureKnow

 

Have you ever heard of koji? Koji is a traditional Japanese food ingredient made by growing a type of fungus called koji mold on rice, barley, soybeans, etc., and is used as an ingredient in making various fermented foods such as soy sauce, miso, sake, and shochu. Recently, shio koji, which is made by mixing salt and koji and fermenting it, has become popular as a seasoning and is widely used in homes. There used to be many koji shops all over the country that produced and sold koji, but now there are only a few left. However, in fact, there is a town called Shimizu in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture,3There are many koji makers clustered together, and they continue to make koji using traditional methods. This time, we visited one of them, Nakamuraya Kojiten, to explore the appeal of koji.

 

 

 

Shimizu Town is a town rich in nature. The clear Kakita River flows through the town, drawing its source from underground waters of Mount Fuji, and the surrounding area has long been a fertile grain-producing region. This blessed environment has fostered the development of koji making in Shimizu Town.

 

Nakamuraya Kojiten, located close to the Kakita River, is a shop that dates back to the Meiji period.29Founded in 1920, the shop is a historic establishment built in the Taisho era, where they make koji using traditional methods.5The next owner is Nakamura Kazunori, with his wife Masaki.2People prepare the koji every day.

 

 

 

Koji making is4Day1It is done as a set.1On the second day, raw materials such as rice, wheat, and soybeans are soaked in water to absorb the water.2On the second day, the rice is steamed in a wooden tub, then spread out by hand to cool, and sprayed with koji mold. It is then placed in a shallow wooden box called a cedar tray, which is made from cedar boards, and the koji mold is allowed to grow in a room called a koji room, which is kept in a humid environment to encourage the growth of the mold. Then, while adjusting the temperature and humidity,2Let it sit for a few days and it's done.

 

 

 

90kgAfter steaming the rice in a wooden tub, it is spread out on a table to cool. It is a difficult task to spread the hot steamed rice by hand. When transferring it to the koji room, the temperature of the rice is30The temperature is checked by hand as it cools to ensure it reaches the exact temperature. Apparently, a thermometer is used as it becomes difficult to sense the temperature during the change of seasons.

 

Another distinctive feature of Nakamuraya Kojiten's koji production is that they have inherited the "koji lid production method," which involves growing koji in wooden boxes, a method that is now rare. Well-used wooden boxes are stacked high.

 

 

 

The inside of the koji room is at room temperature.30°C, humidity90The temperature is kept at above 100°C. Skylights on the ceiling are used to take in and out air according to the climate, maintaining an environment suitable for the growth of koji mold. "Just a change in temperature and humidity can dramatically change how koji mold grows," says Kazuki.

 

 

 

This is the finished koji. Freshly made koji is pure white and fluffy, just like snow. The finished koji is peeled off the wooden board, dried, and goes through a process called "karashi" which stops the activity of the bacteria, before being sold in stores as is.

 

"Our shop sells various types of koji, including rice koji, barley koji, black koji, sweet koji, soybean koji, Kinzanji koji, and hishio koji. We use different types of koji mold for each, taking into consideration the ingredients and the properties of the bacteria. Chefs and food researchers often use them as interesting ingredients," says Kazuki.

 

 

 

Nakamuraya Kojiten also sells koji made into seasonings. There are a wide variety of options, including salt koji, soy sauce koji, Kinzanji miso made with eggplant, ginger, and kelp, Mimasuzuke made with rice koji, chili peppers, and soy sauce, and plum miso made with locally harvested plums. Another appealing feature is how easy it is to use.

 

The Nakamuras taught us how to eat koji deliciously.

 

 

 

"If you want to enjoy the flavor of the seasoning itself, I recommend dipping it into cucumbers or other foods," says Masaki.

 

 

 

Kinzanji miso has a deep flavor that combines the umami of kelp with the texture of chunky eggplant. Plum miso has a refreshing acidity. Both go perfectly with cucumber.

 

"Shoyu koji can be used in place of soy sauce. It doesn't run like soy sauce, so you can dip ingredients in small amounts and eat them," says Masaki.

 

 

 

Place grated daikon radish on the eggplant and dip it in soy sauce koji. When you put it in your mouth, the rich taste and flavor of soy sauce spreads throughout your mouth. You can also taste the umami unique to koji, making it very delicious.

 

Finally, we have some amazake, which has a smooth texture and a gentle sweetness that will leave you feeling relaxed and calm.

 

 

 

Mr. and Mrs. Nakamura inherited the business from their predecessor.10It's been 2015. Kazuki graduated from an art college and his previous job was as a model maker who made stage sets, etc. When his father fell ill, he decided to take over the family business.

 

"When I started making koji, it was a process of trial and error. I tried many different methods and types of koji mold, collected data, and established my own theory on koji making. Both sculptors and koji makers are artisans, so there are similarities in their intuition. Now I enjoy making koji, including developing new products," says Kazuki.

 

 

 

"Koji was once a familiar food ingredient, but recently more and more people have never seen it. However, Japanese people have grown up eating foods made from koji, such as miso, soy sauce, salmon, and mirin.2006In 2015, the Japan Society of Brewing selected koji mold as the country's representative mold, the "national mold." Our shop also holds miso-making workshops using koji in various locations. We hope that through these activities, more people will learn about the appeal of koji," says Kazuki.

 

 

 

Shimizu Town is home to many shops, including Nakamuraya Kojiten.3This is a rare region in Japan where koji makers are concentrated in clusters, and in recent years, efforts have been made to revitalize the town by taking advantage of this unique feature.

 

"Shimizu Town200I was very surprised when I first learned that Shimizu Town is a koji production area with a history of over 100 years. So, in order to widely spread the appeal of Shimizu Town's koji and to revitalize the local economy,2024In 2011, the Shimizu Town Chamber of Commerce launched the Shimizu Town Koji Project and began its activities.

 

 

 

So says Hiroki Maejima, deputy head of the Shimizu Town Chamber of Commerce. First, they held a naming contest in order to brand Shimizu Town's koji.

 

"670We received many applications and after careful deliberation, we decided on the name "Yusui Fuwari" (Yusui Fuwari)," said Maejima.

 

 

The logo mark has also been completed. It has a gentle impression, with the image of rice grains, koji wrapped in mycelium, and flowing spring water.

 

"In the future, we would like to have this logo displayed by koji makers and restaurants that serve menus using koji, so that we can promote it widely.We would also like to continue developing new products using koji, further expanding the possibilities of koji," says Maejima.

 

 

 

In the future, the group plans to hold seminars and workshops on koji, as well as actively promote koji by incorporating it into school lunches, promoting its use and promoting food education, and certifying ambassadors to promote koji.

 

"I would like to work together with business owners and local residents to create a new koji culture," Maejima says passionately.

 

 

 

By incorporating Shimizu Town's koji into your meals, you will not only enrich your daily meals, but also appreciate the depth of Japanese food culture.