Experience the Art of Making Your Own Japanese Rice Koji! King of Japanese Fermented Foods – Rice Koji With rice koji, you can create a variety of traditional Japanese delicacies. The most famous? Miso! There’s an old Japanese saying: "It’s better to pay a miso maker than a doctor." Miso is one of Japan’s most essential and powerful fermented foods, and at the heart of its magic lies rice koji. Did you know that the quality of your miso depends on the quality of your koji? By learning to make high-quality koji, you can craft even more delicious miso at home! Do I Need Expensive Equipment? Absolutely not! While some factories use costly temperature control machines, you can easily make koji at home using simple household items like a hot water bottle or a heated blanket. Spring to autumn is the best time for koji-making, as the natural temperature is perfect for fermentation. In the past, people only made miso in winter because they lacked refrigerators to control the fermentation process. Today, you can make koji all year round! Why Make Your Own Koji? Most store-bought koji is made with low-quality rice, often imported due to the high cost of domestic rice. But when you make it yourself, you control the ingredients. Rice koji is surprisingly affordable to make! The only ingredients are rice and koji mold. With just a few cents’ worth of koji spores, you can produce fresh, fragrant koji that’s far superior to store-bought versions. By mastering this traditional craft, you’ll also be able to make: ✔️ Amazake (a naturally sweet fermented rice drink) ✔️ Shio Koji (a savory umami seasoning) ✔️ Saikyo Miso (a sweet Kyoto-style miso) ✔️ … and of course, your own handmade miso! 1-Day Hands-On Koji Workshop This workshop gives you the fundamental skills to start making koji at home. 🕒 Workshop Duration: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM 📍 Location: Joso City (5 minutes from Mitsuma Station, with pick-up service available) 👥 Capacity: 3-4 participants 💴 Fee: ¥15,000 (includes all materials and ingredients) 🎁 Take-home gift: 500g of premium handmade Japanese rice koji (made from locally grown Koshihikari rice) Workshop Schedule 🌾 Step 1: Preparing the Koji (2-hour hands-on session) Learn the essential process of steaming rice and inoculating it with koji mold. Create the ideal environment for fermentation—this is where the magic begins! 🌸 Step 2: Home Fermentation & Care (Day 2 & 3 – managed by participants at home) After 18 hours, you’ll witness the beautiful bloom of koji mold and smell its natural sweetness. You’ll learn how to control temperature and stir the koji to ensure proper growth. ✨ Step 3: Completion (Day 3 – your own homemade rice koji!) The koji will be fully developed, bursting with fragrance and ready to use in your favorite recipes. Why Join This Workshop? ✔ A Rare Hands-on Experience: Learn a skill that has been passed down for generations. ✔ Perfect for Home Cooking: Start your own miso or fermented food journey. ✔ Fresh, High-Quality Ingredients: Use premium Japanese rice and traditional fermentation methods. ✔ Exclusive Knowledge: Gain insider techniques not easily found online. How to Join 📩 To register, please provide the following details: ✅ Your name (first name only is fine) ✅ Gender ✅ Age group: 20s / 30s / 40s / 50s / 60+ ✅ Your location ✅ Why you are interested in learning about koji ✅ Preferred schedule (time/day) 📅 Workshops are available for groups of 2 or more—let’s find the best time for you! Don’t miss this unique opportunity to experience the ancient craft of koji-making firsthand. Sign up today and start your fermentation journey! #RiceKoji #KojiMaking #Fermentation #JapaneseFermentation #HandmadeKoji #MisoMaking #Amazake #ShioKoji #TraditionalFermentation #KojiCulture #HomeFermentation #KojiMagic #FermentedFoods #HealthyFermentation #JapaneseFoodCulture #DIYKoji #KojiWorkshop #FermentationJourney #KojiLover #TasteOfJapan
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