Brown Rice Koji & Amazake

No more equipment than a bamboo steamer is needed. Follow this simple recipe and instructions, and you can make Brown Rice Koji right in your kitchen!
For the written recipe: gourmetvegetariankitchen.com/2...
Kitchen Essentials: www.amazon.com/shop/gourmetve...
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Music: Oboe Concerto in C, K.314/271k - II. Andantino
European Archive

[@GourmetVegetarianKitchen]

Ever since I learned how good koji is for our health, I am using it a lot. Having to buy koji rice that comes in plastic bags all the time wasn’t ideal. So, I tried to find a way to make my own. Unfortunately, most of the koji recipes I was looking for only showed how to make it with an electric incubator. Another thing I had to buy? No thank you. So I figured out a way to use what I already have and tried a bamboo steamer. It works perfectly fine. It takes a longer time than making it in an electric incubator, but I’m good with that. I made koji with many types of rice until I was confident that it worked before I filmed it to share with you. In the video, I choose to show you Brown Rice Koji. The most challenging one to make--and it works! Once you have koji, you can use it to make many things like amazake, miso, and more. In this video, I’m showing you how to use koji to make amazake. Making miso takes a longer time, but I’m working on it.

[@GourmetVegetarianKitchen]

@Bruno Muniz thank you so much!

[@elenasanchez-heras5157]

Thank you. I love that you try to use what you already have. I'm like that. Looking forward to your miso soup recipe.

[@FlamingBasketballClub]

Please tell me more about Koji

[@alnajlaauk8888]

Gourmet Vegetarian Kitchen great thank you 🙏🏻☀️💞🌷

[@nukespeargaming8118]

Just wanna ask about the steaming/cooking.. should it be cooked..? Like really cooked rice that can be eaten..? Thanks...

[@LinkEX]

With that music and calm cinematography, this feels like a classic fairy-tale turned into a cooking show, haha.

[@GourmetVegetarianKitchen]

Thank you so much for your kind words!

[@eastindiaV]

I've malted rye grains to make whiskey, and I get a mango flavour from the essential oils and terpines in the malt. Which was surprising, but nothing compared to malted rice Koji, IMO I'm making some homemade Koji from scratch in USA, from store bought rice (I think it is imported), and after using wild grass seed as a starter, to colonize to some rice. The store bought rice is now Koji-fied, and it's a very interesting smell... the sugars are just becoming noticeable, and it's like a coconut dipped in powdered sugar, but then the weirdest thing is, the Essential oils produce this incredible wintergreen cooling effect on my tongue, like toothpaste! I'm just eating a few kernels at a time to test it. I've never experienced this, but I am sure it's a sign I'm on the right track. I hope my Saké carries this note, it's so refreshingly cool on the palate and nose. I just put wild grass and some walnut oil as a protector against contaminants with some water, inside a small jar with a coffee filter as a lid. I heat it at night on the warm setting, and put on the windowsill all day, until it's dry. Also heating it gives my oven a good cheesy umami smell. Then, I just put some rice on my windowsill in some water, until the next morning, to collect spores. I then pasteurize this, and add the small wild Koji jar to it. After a day, the bottom is browner, the rice is beginning to sweeten, and the whole thing I then spawned to my Malting Rice, which is just in water, soaking it up, as the Koji Enzyme prepares it by breaking down the starch into the sugar, which becomes alchohol when yeast is added. That also just chills in my oven, being heated here and there, to keep it nice and steamy in there, and to keep bacteria away. Nice and bubbly now, no yeast yet... good sign That's the kitchen way

[@margarett_b]

The most calming and inspiring videos out there. Honestly, they just make my soul happy and peaceful. Thank you SO SO much! Lost of love! Stay safe and sound in durring that scary time we're in!

[@GourmetVegetarianKitchen]

Thank you so much for your kind comment, I really appreciate it!

[@sandraekhoff8937]

I am going to do both recipes. Love it, love it, love it!!!! Thank you so much for the effort and the good intention of helping so many of us!!

[@kimtaylor1070]

I have been loving your videos for a few months now. Thanking you for taking time to produce these because they are relaxing, educational, and beautiful.

[@GourmetVegetarianKitchen]

Thank you so much for your kind comment. Your words mean so much to me!

[@kimtaylor1070]

@@GourmetVegetarianKitchen you deserve it!

[@chanukawarnakulasuriya1495]

Its really an amazing experience watching your videos. Loving them 😍

[@Schmagooger]

So glad I found this! Going to try it tomorrow and hope the koji starter I bought a while back is still good. So glad to find a tutorial that does not require special equipment.

[@JEEROFUKU]

I love amazake first thing in the morning 😋Thank you for this detailed tutorial, dear friend 🙏🏻🌱🍀❤️

[@Paula.1000]

I love your recipes and your kitchen! 😍

[@karenliang8264]

i was so happy and thank ful to know your youtube! Amazing! i like most of your recipe! Thousand thanks

[@feelcarlos]

I just started my 2nd batch of Koji I used beans, the first one didn't sporulate, I used your method and I applied the quantity you use here, it worked great, thanks

[@v.pengbutree8815]

Sawatdee ka, I just found your channel today. It's so exciting to try my 1st experiment of rice koji with Hom mali rice soon. My koji kin has been frozen for more than 2 years, hope it works! Thanks and love your presentation - new subscriber from Thailand.

[@ArtistMusician]

Thank you so much!

[@grinsenjoli1335]

a few days ago I discovered the koji, it was unknown to me. I loved the video, thanks

[@GourmetVegetarianKitchen]

I'm so glad to hear that you know about koji. I hope you make and use it soon. I'm so obsessed with it :) Thank you for liking my videos!

[@grinsenjoli1335]

Gourmet Vegetarian Kitchen your answer make happy, thanks. Really enjoy the videos !

[@AP-pk9gw]

Lovely video as always! Hope you're all safe and healthy

[@GourmetVegetarianKitchen]

Thank you so much for you words. I hope you stay safe and healthy as well.

[@AP-pk9gw]

@@GourmetVegetarianKitchen you're welcome, I'm staying at home, so i hope i can stay healthy

[@ronbar9793]

Your brilliant videos are so inspiring ❤️ thank you so much for sharing your creativity. I am certainly going to try this one. Pls let me know where can I find Koji starter. Tnx

[@GourmetVegetarianKitchen]

Thank you so much for your kind words. I'm so glad you are going to try it. Try modernist pantry store, I got it from there. ((not sponsored)

[@tndessert]

thank you sharing your good video.

[@IphilodendronI]

wow, thank you for that nice video. stay safe and healthy :)

[@Habibie-vi4fv]

Wow, that's a beautiful brown koji rice batch you had there. I reckon your room temperature must be above 85F; otherwise, it will take a little longer time for koji to develop. I'm sure you can now make your own koji spores by extending the fermentation for another day or so. Then, you can make more koji from the koji spores, i.e. no need to waste $$ to buy more koji rice. Actually, using koji spores to make koji rice will yield a better result.

[@TheNutbrittle]

Thank you for sharing. I made koji rice using a styrofoam box and a heat mat, and inoculate it at 30°C - 35°C. I didn't know you can do it at room temperature? What is your room temperature? I live in Scandinavia and it's usually cold. It's good for making rice wine though. 🙂

[@sinfulhealer2110]

Another scandinavian here, very interested in what room temperature you have!

[@TheNutbrittle]

@@sinfulhealer2110 😂 It's around 17 - 18°C, the reason for my previous comment. 🙂

[@ja52ng74]

I've seen these chunks of koji rice sold in rectangular blocks at Japanese grocery stores (I think the brand I saw was called Miyako). Is it possible to use this block, blend it in a food processor into a powder and use it to make more koji?

[@GourmetVegetarianKitchen]

I have never done it before as I still have a lot of koji kin left. From my experience, I'm sure you can. Could you let me know how it goes if you do?

[@annplepyy]

Where do you get the koji starter? Amazon, iHerb? The grounded brown rice, is it raw or from the steamed? You have such patience. Thank you for sharing. ❤️🙏

[@GourmetVegetarianKitchen]

I got koji starter from a company called Modernist Pantry. I have it on my Amazon storefront if you like to check it out. The brown rice flour is raw. Thank you so much and you are welcome!

[@annplepyy]

Gourmet Vegetarian Kitchen 👍❤️🙏

[@user-xb2dk8db3j]

Etsy sells too

[@Richard-ck3jl]

Can you use leftover amazake to start a new batch of amazake? Rather than inoculating with rice koji again?

[@federicasgorbissa5092]

Do you think it would it be possible to dry out the koji rice completely (maybe in a dryer) and store it for long periods (even out of the fridge)?

[@vivi87ification]

for me I don't know at all what it is ... I'm going to go see on google for some explanations ... I don't know what is goji and it makes me think a little bit about close that we put on soybeans to make tempeh ... I admit that I am very puzzled ... a big thank you Jeem ... interesting to discover new things.

[@GourmetVegetarianKitchen]

Sorry it took me so long to see this, Violette. You might have done some researching already, but here is a good article about it for you. sciencemeetsfood.org/koji/

[@furbymaster4239]

Koji is edible mold it's used for making soy sauce, marinating meat and making alcohol

[@ABCD15334]

where did you find koji starter?any reliable suggestion?

[@federicasgorbissa5092]

Hi, I'm currently trying your procedure... I'm in the second day of the process, and the rice has begun developing some white mould. My only doubt is...I tasted it, and it's rather sweet. Is that a good sign or may it have been contaminated by some other mould, fungus or yeast? THANKS (I'm a big fan of your channel, it's two years since i started making vegan cheese, just because i saw your videos)

[@gappakatinga942]

Do we need to add extra yeast with koji to make rice wine Miso or tapai?????

[@sskpsp]

How does amazake taste? I was surprised you paired it with fruit. My guess of it being a fermented product was that it is tangy and funky, which I guess would pair with some sweet nicely.

[@GourmetVegetarianKitchen]

It's tangy and sweet--perfect with fruits. I have to make sure I have it in my fridge all the time, especially in the summer. I can eat it everyday!

[@JD-hi8qx]

What people don't tell you about amazake is it can be mushroomy tasting. Sweet. But mushroomy. Apparently letting it sit in the fridge overnight is supposed to help with that.

[@carloamendola8232]

Hi , i'm carlo from Italy, 1) please how long it takes to steam brown rice ?2) What do you think about to steam by a pressure cooker ? 3) My room temperature is about 20 C°, can it go well? Thanks bye bye namaste ciao

[@GourmetVegetarianKitchen]

1.) it takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Brown rice takes a longer time than white rice to steam. 2.) I don't have a pressure cooker and never used it before, so I can't tell you for sure about this. 3.) I keep my house at 68°F (20°C) and it works great. Hope you make it soon, it's really good for you!

[@mabimarques7073]

Can I use store bought koji as a starter?

[@arminsmit9477]

Hi, what is the temperature of your house because koji needs an environment between 30 and 40 degress celcuis so would you reccomend doing that at room temp?

[@GourmetVegetarianKitchen]

I keep my house at 68 F° during the day and 60 F° at night, and it works fine. After day 2 it will create enough heat that is perfect for the mold to grow without any incubator.

[@TheNutbrittle]

Mine failed at temperature lower than 30°C, but I still managed to use it for my rice wine, which turned out quite delicious! I've read that more lactic acid is produced at lower temperature, while more amylase is produced at 30°C - 40°C. Although I don't let mine reach 40°C.

[@nhuphan3483]

I attempted fifth times, and I completely fails all. My koji amazake doesn't have sweet fragnance coming out. I don't know if you ever experience like me and how you resolve. Thank you

[@feelcarlos]

Thanks for sharing but with your method how do you keep track of the temperature and humidity I mean how can you achieve it in the right way without any equipment, did you try it many times until you got it right???

[@JD-hi8qx]

I think she's in a naturally warm and humid environment.......

[@Batoul12332]

Hello I made koji rice (I used koji-kin that I bought from Amazon, I used 2 grams for half kilo of brown rice) and I controled temperature (I adjusted it at 32 % for the external temp. and I prevented the interior temp frome exceeding 40 %) and controled humidity( about 92%) The rice turned white,sweet, but didn't coherent like a one piece I am confused because I looked carefully at the details of your video and tried very hard to stick to it professionally, though the result was not as satisfactory as I had hoped Do you have an explanation for the reason for the failure?

[@TheNutbrittle]

I had a similar experience, and it's fine that the rice don't clump together. My second batch clumped a bit because I let it inoculate just a bit longer. 🙂

[@vivi87ification]

@ Gourmet Vegetarian Kitchen ...I have another question Jeem...sorry...I have look your link, very interesting for the link, and I realize the koji is s little like the "rhizopus spores" I use for make the tempeh....but can I use it or is it different?? Thanks a lot my dear Jeem and take care 🙏🏼💖

[@GourmetVegetarianKitchen]

Hmm.. sorry for the late reply, Violette. I have to do more research to be able to answer this question. I'll get back to you later!

[@vivi87ification]

@@GourmetVegetarianKitchen thank you Jeem 💖

[@v.pengbutree8815]

They are fungi but a different genus. Rhizopus oryzae, is for making tempeh but Aspergillus oryzae - is for making rice koji.

[@majedasweedan3933]

Greetings from jordan Thanks for the video. Please how to make koji at home without starter .. as the starter is very expensive and not handy..

[@GreekVegetarianRecip]

You are responsible for doing your own research and for your own health. Below is my own research. Hi, first, thanks to the maker of this video. Then, to answer your question: I saw a video here on KZbin. You rinse (white) rice until the water runs clear. You soak it for 12 hours, (no more). You steam it on top of water, (do not boil it in water!), until it is cooked BUT still a little hard in the center of the grain. You make little "cigar" shapes with the rice. You place each cigar shape in a dried corn leaf (you can also place it in banana leaf or straw. You tie the little packets of corn leaves with thread. Then you wait for the mold from the air to inoculate the rice inside the corn leaves (the leaves are also called corn husks). The mold you are looking for is whitish to greenish. Rice with orange,red or bright-colored mold SHOULD BE DISCARDED!. If you see white mold on the rice, collect it and use it to make more rice mold. Use keywords such as "how to catch wild koji spores" You should find a video by users: 2 guys and...sorry, I don't have their video handy right now, but I will edit this comment to include it. EDIT: I found the video. Here it is,(How to grow koji spores from scratch). I ignored all the ads contained within the video. I also bought one of the guy's book and I do not recommend it. I did not like. You can find most-if not all the info online. I recommend you watch the whole video, but I would not bother making the steaming and heating chamber. Instead, I would follow Jeem's directions and I would place the corn-wrapped packets of rice in the steaming baskets. And as I am thinking about, I would use brown rice, as there are probably more chances that it may already have Aspergillus oryzae on it.: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oWWofoaXmc5riqc In the meantime here is a video in Vietnamese. Watch what she does. You can also turn on subtitles in your language. She starts with bought spores, but I still found it useful to watch: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hmPHqGlngrCcjrM If you think about it, the process is similar to "catching" wild yeast for sourdough bread. I would buy the spores the first time though, just to know what to expect. Be careful. I have never made Koji and I am dong my research. Please do your own research. Good Luck!

[@rajeswarirajesh6721]

Good morning..I want nutritional yeast for my health ..As I am RA patient can I get your product please...

[@usamaalhaj80]

Nice vedio I have 2 questions hope to answer them: 1-If we produced koji spores using white rice would it be reliable to make new batches of koji rice 2-When I make koji rice it tastes sweet and white but rice grains are not coherent., Is there something wrong?

[@GourmetVegetarianKitchen]

1. I have never tried it myself so I can't tell you for sure. Please share if you make it. 2. Did it get enough heat? It happen to me when I didn't rewet the cloth I covered.

[@usamaalhaj80]

@@GourmetVegetarianKitchen First of all thank you 1- I have researched the matter and found that we can rely on the second generation of koji spores, but it is better to rely on koji spores from the laboratory 2- If Koji Rice is not coherent, is there any harm to that?

[@w.sungkomsilp3811]

Is Tempeh that similar Koji ? Thank you 😊

[@GourmetVegetarianKitchen]

They are different but both are very good to digest!

[@terryterry1655]

so no ned=ed constant 60 deg celsius ? to make amazake. total how many days before it looks like fermneted tempeh ?lost count

[@ABCD15334]

could you help us with barley koji for miso making? i cant find somewhere and i guess u have the solution 🙏

[@GourmetVegetarianKitchen]

I have never done it with barley and I can tell that it's not easy. I'm so happy that I can make it with brown rice though. I'll try making it with barley soon--please check back!

[@ABCD15334]

@@GourmetVegetarianKitchen i always wait your videos.. thanks for answering to everything u re amazing!

[@usamaalhaj80]

OK I was asking This wooden box is not affected by moisture? And how it is preserved from bacteria caused by moisture?

[@GourmetVegetarianKitchen]

The koji is pretty dry when I put it one the tray to dry. I have been using this tray to dry my koji for a long time and it works very well.

[@usamaalhaj80]

@@GourmetVegetarianKitchen OK thank you😙

[@stanleyyeo9482]

What degree the temperature should be ? 30c and above ? and How much humidity is needed?

[@GourmetVegetarianKitchen]

My room temperature is about 68 degrees F°. I wet the cloth with hot water and cover it back each day to add some humidity--I don't really know how much.

[@stanleyyeo9482]

@@GourmetVegetarianKitchenthanks for your info. I will try again.

[@bepnhavang1687]

🙏🏻💐♥️

[@tomjerry9668]

Can you help me? I planned to make koji, but accidentally I bought Rhizopus oryzae instead of Aspergillus oryzae ☹️. Is it possible to use Rhizopus oryzae?

[@TheNutbrittle]

Koji-kin is Aspergillus oryzae, and this is what you use to make koji (rice inoculated with Aspergillus oryzae)

[@arminsmit9477]

How long did you steam your rice?

[@GourmetVegetarianKitchen]

Brown rice is very hard to steam. It probably takes 45-60 minutes, I don't really keep track of the time. I usually check it, I can tell if it's ready when the rice grains are clear.

[@roseshollivy7220]

Entendi esta e a receita que eu lhe pedi mas o problema é que esta em inglês por favor add em PtB

[@schmidcl77]

How to make rice flour?

[@GourmetVegetarianKitchen]

I grind raw brown rice in a coffee grinder.

[@bryanadams256]

Sounds like I'm listening to a Walt Disney cartoon from the '40s.

[@FlamingBasketballClub]

Interesting recipe though.

[@letiunicalopez9147]

I don't know what Koji and amasake are...

[@GourmetVegetarianKitchen]

Koji is an important ingredient used widely in Japanese food especially for making miso, amzake etc.

[@letiunicalopez9147]

@@GourmetVegetarianKitchen I have a friend in Japan now. May be I can ask her to bring me some Koji starter when she comes back. What is the flavor like? I love your clean, beautiful and detailed videos. Here in Argentina I don't think I can find the starter unfortunately

[@debashisroy6281]

How buityfully you make those, but it's a headache for beginners

[@girliedog]

very tedious and fiddly

[@myggggeneration]

..... or a dedicated art form