Koji facts 1

In my first post, I said koji is 'a type of mould'. However, strictly speaking, it is actually thousands of types of mould belonging to the same family.

In this blog, I am mainly talking about Aspergillus oryzae, but even Aspergillus oryzae has  thousands of types. They have names such as Aspergullus oryzae xxx and do belong to the same family, but strictly speaking, different types. Juzo Nagata, who was brought up in a koji making family, writes in his book how he was surprised to see various types of koji in his adulthood. Until he actually had to buy koji from other shops, he thought good koji were always the white ones with long velvety furs.
Added to this variety within Aspergillus oryzae family, there are other moulds which are called 'koji'. Monascus purpureus is a famous one of those.
 
It is possible to catch wild koji from your own environment-- in a traditional manner. Aspergillus oryzae are quite common in Japan and long time ago, people did use house koji or house yeast.
Sometimes, catching wild koji can be an absolute necessity. After the Second World War, for example, Okinawan people tried to revive black koji by doing exactly that. The island was bombed flat and they lost all the koji.

There is something that is fundamentally empowering in the idea that you can catch your own koji. It is a bit like foraging. The sheer knowledge that it is possible excites me.

And yet, on this particular issue, I am more conservative and rather buy my spore from a well established shop. Some of the Aspergilus moulds (not oryzae as far as I am aware) can produce toxin and I am not willing to risk my own or my family's health.
Cooking and eating food is so mundane but it is also so fundamentally about life and survival.


Well, I think if I am starting my own journey with koji, it probably is a good idea to start with a little bit of guidance.

Miso facts

Traditional miso making in Nagoya posted by randomidea.

There is an old saying that bought miso leaves one's safe empty (味噌買う家は倉建たぬ). It means that anyone who is careless and extravagant enough to buy miso rather than making it at home is sure to have financial problems. I am making miso and also have plenty financial cares. How does that work?

Of course, the saying is an old one. Miso making is more of a hobby nowadays. It is probably as common as home brewing in the UK and its adherents have a similar missionary zeal. Home miso makers are absolutely passionate about their products and often try to make people taste them. The phrase "temae-miso　手前味噌" (home made miso) now has a secondary meaning praising oneself. (Oh, I'm sorry, but I am being a bit of a home brewer here, but please look at my new web design")

But there was once a time when temae-miso was the norm. That means there is great regional variety because people had to use whatever was available to them. There is rice koji miso, just like the one I have tried to make, but also barley koji miso, soy bean koji miso, millet koji miso, chick pea miso, adzuki miso etc. etc. People are experimenting mung beans, lentils and others. The variety is endless.

Soy is the dominant type.

Even with your standard combination of rice koji, salt and soy beans, there can be a lot of variety. Red miso have higher salt contents. They take longer to mature (typically, over a year), have stronger tastes, and don't go off easily. The longer miso matures, the darker its colour grows.

White miso have more koji. They are sweeter, quicker to mature and you need to take more care of its storage as it is less salty and tends to go off more easily.

When I lived in Tokyo, I used to buy "awase miso"--a blend of both red and white, with red's character and white's milder taste.  I was happy enough with the Japanese co-op's standard miso, but my sisters, who are more health conscious, ordered their miso from proper miso makers rather than buying a pack at a supermarket.

Properly matured miso made from good ingredients has more character and therefore more satisfying with smaller portions. If you want to limit your sodium intake, it is a good idea to invest in miso with flavour. I find that what I am hankering after is not the salt per se, but the rich and complex symphony of taste and flavour that a fermented bean paste offers.

Just like booze, commercialisation tends to kill off some of the varieties that are more difficult to mass produce. Making miso in the home offers an opportunity to revive old varieties and experiment with the new combinations.

 Photo Flickr Creative Common Randomidea