Koji Starter (Tane Koji)

Tane Koji, or Koji Starter, which comes in a 20g sachet of aspergillus oryzae (麹) is a filamentous fungus used in Japanese cooking to saccharify rice for miso, sake and amazake, to ferment soybeans for soy sauce and miso and a wide range of other food products. It is also used to produce rice vinegars and is an integral part of some of the world's oldest fermentation traditions.

This product is 20g of fine white koji spores. One sachet is enough to inoculate 15kg of rice, or any amylase-based (starch) substrate. It is ideal for making rice koji, miso or amazake.

Expiration Date of current batch: 12 March 2025

------------------------------

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE:

1. Soak rice or substrate and drain.
2. Steam the rice thoroughly and cool it down to 40°C before sprinkling the koji spores and mixing it well.
3. Wrap the rice in a cloth at a temperature of 32 to 33°C
4. Leave it for 15-20 hours until the temperature reaches 37 to 40°C. Mix well (1st) and return it to its original rolled shape. Make sure the temperature never drops below 33°C.
5. When the temperature reaches 37 to 39°C again, mix it well (2nd) and roll it into its original shape.
6. When the temperature reaches 38 to 40°C, mix it well (3rd) and spread out the substrate to cool down. The whole process should take about 42 to 48 hours, subject to seasonal differences.

If not using the koji starter, store it in a dark place with no humidity, below 15°C.

If making in small batches, adjust the ratio. For 1.5kg of substrate, 4-5g of koji starter should be used. If opened and past the expiry date, it can still be used, but will need a higher ratio of starter koji to substrate.

Please note: this is the starter used to make rice koji, it therefore still needs to go through a fermentation process, which requires some time and equipment. Koji starter has a limited shelf life and should ideally be used within three weeks of opening, but can be refrigerated to extend the shelf life.

-----------------

Hishiroku Co., Ltd. is a company with a history of over 360 years as cultivators of koji spores. The company has a koji starter shop in Kyoto, where it also sells rice koji powder and rice koji. The company runs workshops on how to use koji starter and give talks upon request. It is a member of Japan's National Koji Starter Association.