2012.11.09

The reemergence of an ancient Japanese
health food! Popular "Koji" SPOTS

Koji is a fermented food that is made by cultivating koji mold on grains such as rice. It is used to make Japanese sake and miso and an everyday food for Japanese people. Koji has suddenly gaining attention recently as it contains elements that are good for beauty and your health. The number of shops where you can enjoy koji as well as menu items and foods that contain it are being released continually! In this issue, we’ll introduce you to some select “koji SPOTS” in Tokyo. (Top photo: Sennen Koujiya)

Sennen Koujiya, filled with foods that use koji

The Japanese style store interior is impressive. The bottom photo shows a display that is designed to resemble the kitchen of a traditional Japanese house in Uonuma, Niigata.

The first “koji SPOT” you can’t miss is the Sennen Koujiya in Azabujuban, a town not far from Roppongi. Sennen Koujiya was born in Uonuma in Niigata, a city known for its rice production. The founder of the store is the sake brewery that makes Hakkaisan sake in the region. Based on a theme of “rice, koji, fermentation”, the store has an extensive array of food that uses rice and koji.

We went to the store and asked them about the health benefits of koji...

“Koji is rich in B vitamins, which help to relive fatigue, as well as in glucose, your brain’s source of energy. In addition, because it is absorbed quickly, koji is known as a drinkable drip infusion.”
Because of this, amazake, which uses an abundance of koji, was drunk in the Edo period as a health supplement. B vitamins also work to increase metabolism and improve beautiful skin, making it ideal for women concerned about beauty.

“What’s more, an enzyme known as protease, works to break down proteins. If you use seasonings that use koji to cook meats and fish, not only will it make them tender and richer in flavor, it will also reduce the burden on your stomach.”
In addition, because the enzymes are already in action during the fermentation stage, it is said that koji also helps to improve your intestinal environment.

Koji helps the working of your brain, alleviates fatigue and helps in supporting your beauty and health from various angles including gastrointestinal health. There are also many ways to consume it, including drinking amazake made from koji, using seasonings such as “shio koji” that uses koji, eating foods that contain “sake kasu,” which also contains koji, pickling foods in koji, eating foods with koji... the list goes on and on.

At Sennen Koujiya, you can discover the way you want to eat koji thanks to their extensive selection of foods that contain koji.

Among the foods that use koji, the one that is gaining the most attention is shio koji seasoning. Spread lightly over meat and fish and cook to make them even more tender and juicy! In addition to plain, you can also buy shio koji with ginger, garlic, and red chili pepper. Although not suited as gifts as they must be kept refrigerated, check out its flavor with the samples.(630 yen and up)

The fastest and easiest way to enjoy koji is with amazake. You’ll be surprised that even with its sweetness, it doesn’t use any sugar. You can also use it in place of mirin. Amazake must be kept refrigerated as well, and we recommend it as a drink when you’re tired from your travels. The colorful ones on the right are koji vinegars that contain fruit juice. (250 yen and up)

Lightweight and can be stored for prolonged periods, these products are ideal as gifts. Candy with amazake (right) and candy with “Hakkaisan” sake on the left.(368 yen each)

Rice crackers and fried rice cakes with sake kasu(365 yen each).
In addition to sweets there is a wide selection that includes baumkuchen and pound cakes with sake kasu.

Sennen Koujiya
1-6-7 Azabujuban, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-5772-3930 Hours:11am - 10pm
http://www.uonuma-no-sato.jp/

If you want to enjoy koji cuisine, this is the place!
Hakkoshokudo Mametankin

Hakkoshokudo Mametankin provides various dishes based on the theme of “fermented food.” They say that menu items that use koji are extremely popular here too.

“In general, fermented foods tend to have strong smells associated with them and a unique taste. However, koji has no peculiar taste and can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Because of it’s ease of incorporating into anything and it’s healthiness, I think that’s why it’s gaining attention again now. As a side note, koji was originally a food that was used as non-perishable food in the winter in the colder regions such as the Tohoku and Hokuriku regions. At this restaurant, we also offer traditional cuisine that uses koji.”

In addition to koji cuisine, you can enjoy local cuisine from around Japan that uses fermented foods at Hakkoshokudo Mametankin. If you’re interested in koji or in Japanese food culture, why not stop by?

Kaburazushi (turnip sushi) (750 yen) is a local cuisine from Ishikawa prefecture in the Hokuriku region. Turnips and yellowtail are brined and then fermented in koji along with kombu seaweed. Although it has a unique taste, the depth of flavor unique to koji and the texture is splendid.

Tsubugai (whelk) marinated in garlic oil with shio koji (550 yen). Because it has a western cuisine type of flavor, it is a dish that is popular as being easy to eat. If you’re interested in koji, why not start with this dish?

Sablefish marinated in koji (900 yen). The sablefish marinated in koji is fall-off-the-bone tender. Cooking it over a charcoal flame not only gives it aroma and flavor, but also greater sweetness and richness. You can enjoy the slight aroma and sweetness of the koji in this dish

Hakkoshokudo Mametankin
1-6-3 Gohongi, Meguro-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-3710-9804 Hours: 6pm - 11pm
http://www.e-e-co.com/

Enjoy koji in a casual fashion Furumachi Kouji Seizosho

Furumachi Kouji Seizosho is a “koji SPOT” you can wander into while you’re walking around town. The main product offered at the shop is an amazake named “Koji”.

“Its characteristic is that it keeps you full for a long time because it’s a drink made from rice. Because it’s also rich in glucose that supports brain functions, we also recommend it as something to drink first thing in the morning.”

There are over 15 different types of drink flavors. In addition to fruit and roasted green tea flavors, there are also a wide variety of unique flavors such as black vinegar, which is rich in citric acid that helps alleviate fatigue, soy milk, rich in a beauty element known as isoflavones, and ginger, which helps warm the body. Experience the healthy power of koji casually according to your preferences in taste and objective.

In addition, the amazake bottles and koji packs can be stored at room temperature, making this a SPOT ideal for purchasing gifts.

Enjoy both hot and iced drinks. Furumachi Kouji Seizosho is located in Jiyugaoka, popular for its selection of everyday goods and sweets stores. Why not stroll this fashionable town with a drink in hand? Koji drinks(340 yen and up).

Amazake has long been said to be good as a nutritional supplement for the tiredness after giving birth. Women are sure to be delighted when they receive amazake with ginger, which warms the body, as a gift. Jinjia (temple) ale (1,575 yen)

Koji for cooking (630 yen each) can be used in a wide variety of ways. In addition to spreading it on meat and fish, marinate raw vegetables for 30 minutes for easy lightly pickled vegetables. You can also add koji to vegetable stir fries to bring out the natural sweetness of the vegetables.