How to Use Koji | What's Eating Dan?

[@suratiivey9142]

Thx fot the video Dan. To my Japanese friend , who is a cooking teacher, Koji is her world. Everything is koji koki koji. Now I make my own shio koji and miso. I find is esp nice when you have frozen fish that maybe should have been used a month ago, just thaw it , marinate in shio koji, wait a while , wipe it off and grill bake or broil. Now the fish tastes fresh !! Ditto shrimp, and just about anything. Koji is the King.

[@mudamoody98]

Watching this video makes me more excited to study more in my major (Food Science). Thanks, Dan!

[@ws.hicks14]

Muhammad Fathony Alfikri Ever since I started diving deep into cooking, I regreted not majoring in Food Science.

[@waterlemon9838]

Me too! I'm a food tech undergrad and i believe we've touched upon koji in my food biotechnology class but not this in depth. Nice video!

[@brianklaus2468]

I’ve owned 8 Subaru’s Dan I’ll gladly buy that Impreza

[@hkyt21]

As a guy from Japan, I'd imagine to hear miso or soy sauce here but I didn't completely expect to hear Koji here haha

[@stevelogan5475]

I live in the u.s., does koji really work ?, does it really add more flavor ?

[@docclabo6350]

@@stevelogan5475 No, it doesn't work on this side of the Pacific Ocean. LOL Excuse the sarcasm. Yes, it definitely works. Besides, Dan wouldn't lie to us.

[@spicemasterii6775]

David Clabault Hahaha 🤣

[@lordgarion514]

That's one of the things I love most about this country. We have so many people from basically every culture that everything from everywhere is going to get here eventually. And the rate seems to be accelerating rapidly thanks to the net.

[@hkyt21]

@@stevelogan5475 I live in Japan but burger tastes nice, good to hear?

[@Packiechu]

Been wanting to try koji since I saw Brad Leone use it! Now I"m even more ready to give it a shot! Thanks, Dan!

[@Leo-hk6qg]

I also watched that video and forgot about wanting to do it until now

[@JudyCZ]

I literally just put my slabs of turkey with koji "Brad style" in my fridge. We'll see what happens but I'm already excited (plus - Brad is basically a culinary god, if I don't trust him, who do I trust).

[@wimpykid700]

JudyCZ good stuff?

[@JudyCZ]

@@wimpykid700 Yes, I highly recommend it. :) I tried it with 2 cm (0.7 inches) slices of turkey breast and tasted it after two and four days (Brad says three days are ideal, I didn't have the energy to cook on that day). I prepared them in my dutch oven, searing at first on both sides and adding a bit of water afterwards and putting on the lid. Both of those caught colour really quickly and really nicely, both were very juicy (the 2 day was juicier though) and had that extra..."oompf" of flavour. It just tasted like if I put some great unidentifiable seasoning on while it was justsalt (and butter + rice [flavourless] oil underneath). And I got a bit of awesome gravy to go with it underneath. Plus it was all great fun, like a little science project. I have still quite a lot of the powdered koji left and I can't wait to try it with different meats/veggies and times. My shio koji (Dan style) is about to be done tomorrow probably so episode two of my personal koji experiments series is coming. :) (Sorry for the long comment, I'm just honestly that excited.)

[@michelledunn8970]

I tried it first time tonight. Oh my, how did I miss it for so long？ it makes the chicken super tender and flavorful, yet not overpowering. Just a tasty piece of chicken!

[@AlanBee1948]

I've been using koji ever since I read the first article in Cook's Science and have been a fan ever since. I use it mostly for aging meats, but indeed I love the Koji Fried Chicken. I just wish you had more "tested" koji uses in your magazine or videos. I add additional brine to shio koji, to create more clear liquid to add to my ramen broth, as a substitute for fish sauce, when serving vegans.

[@helenjohnson7583]

I had a container of (dry) Koji in the fridge forever. (I used to make amasake with sweet brown rice. Thinned/blended for a drink & thick for a pudding.) Alas, it was compost eventually. Now for a fresh start! Thanks for the watchable, concise explanation!!!

[@NeverLooksAtComments]

YES MORE DAN

[@MongoMan693]

Dang. Every time I watch a "Dan" video I learn so much. Thank you Dan! Both scientific and tasty on the tongue. Now don't bother me as I search for Koji rice in my area... BTW, your cauliflower soup is the best...

[@MelanieAt]

Mongo Man that soup is amazing!

[@BleedGibson]

Dan you change my kitchen every time I watch one of your videos

[@ColbrookKitchen]

Dan, thanks so much for this video--you've opened my eyes and changed my world! I have made koji sous vide duck confit and koji-marinated Costco pork chops, which used to be boring, but are now amazing. Continuing to explore.

[@MistSoalar]

There's a red variant of koji-related mold. I think it's mostly popular from the Okinawa region of Japan to Taiwan and mainland China. When I traveled to Okinawa for Koji exploration, I had their red-koji infused (marinated?) tofu. It was the most violent umami I ever tasted. The marinade looked almost like a hot sauce, but it had no spiciness in it. It was a super complex, slightly alcoholic flavored umami blast that burned into my brain. Never found in the US, but I asked a military friend of mine to smuggle into the US next time he comes back.

[@benjaminhallen9344]

This has seriously peaked my interest. Please do a koji series.

[@tehstick]

Koji is also pretty easy to make at home if you have something that can hold a steady heat and humidity like a bread proofer.

[@littlebluedolphin]

I hadn't heard of shio koji, but I'm sure the most common yeast-based ingredient used in Asian cooking is Red Yeast Rice, Red Fermentated Rice or Red Rice Koji, which is used for making red rice wine. The red rice wine lees/dregs are often used as a marinade and cooked into meat stews, usually chicken, but duck, beef or pork work too.

[@d.lawrencemiller5755]

Omg thank you!!!! I've been searching for that fungus for ages to make doubanjiang at home. Nobody I spoke to at Asian markets knew what I was talking about because all I knew to call it was that long scientific name I can't pronounce, let alone remember how to spell. All I needed to say was "koji." I just needed the word. Now I found it! Thank you! Gonna go make some dank bean paste now!

[@LENZ5369]

"Aspergillus oryzae, also known as koji" -first line in wikipedia.

[@danthadon87]

And ATK impresses us again with their valuable content for FREE! You guys are great and easily my favourite channel.

[@suespatches7881]

And even us who went ALL in on the CI website. Even for a retiree, I enjoy it A LOT. Thanks, Dan.

[@glennkelly6743]

Dan, rather than using water and salt (shio), try making it with soy sauce (shoyu). It adds several layers of depth to the marinade. I recently marinated a tri-tip in shoyu koji for a day and a half before throwing it into the hot tub (sous vide), and then finishing it off on the grill. It was the best tri-tip I ever had!

[@MatthewSprankle]

I used to live in Cleveland and Larder by far had the best food. Starting the Koji journey today :)

[@jonasberger7277]

Im studying applied and molecular Biotechnology and this video invokes a weird, cooking excitement in me.

[@jlbasgall]

so interested to learn more about how to use koji... need to do research. pretty excited!

[@zacharymariano2383]

Every episode of What's Eating Dan has been a game-changer for me! Extra-special shoutout to the brussels sprouts episode; the word is out in the fam that I make the best brussels sprouts and have been requested to make them for Thanksgiving this year. Now for that Koji Turkey....

[@samuelwilliams8560]

@Zachary Mariano - Yeah, Dan’s brussel sprout recipe is a TRUE game changer. 👍🏻

[@VHPINC]

This is intriguing. I’ve never heard of it before so thank you for introducing me to something that sounds totally amazing!

[@hollym5873]

I always think I should be smarter after your videos, thanks

[@Will_JJHP]

Already down that rabbit hole and love this stuff. I've got some hot sauce mash using the chillis from my garden fermenting with it now.

[@Jasminebed2]

Sounds exciting. Just got my first salt mash with Nagas underway yesterday.

[@Will_JJHP]

@@Jasminebed2 🔥🌶️🥵

[@ho-hyongyoo3251]

Ah we call them nurook in Korean. Used in almost every traditional Korean sources and alcohol. It is commonly used in East Asian cuisines. What is interesting is every country's Koji is bit different.

[@esobofh]

I wasn't able to source Koji locally, but i did find the Korean version called Nuruk, which is a naturally inoculated wheat product used to make traditional Korean rice wine. The difference between the two is that Koji is artificially inoculated, but the Nuruk is naturally inoculated which results in a more diverse range of enzyme producing fungus and yeasts. I'm going to experiment with this and see what I get! This is sold in Korean Markets as "enzyme powder" and is said to contain Aspergillus oryzae (like Koji) but also Aspergillus flavus, Lichtheimia sp., and Rhizopus oryzae.

[@hanspetervollhorst1]

What do you mean by artificially inoculated vs naturally inoculated?

[@gennylee6459]

You could buy ready-to-use Koji rice from Asian markets in US. They are usually next to the tofu and other refrigerated products.

[@tk1-tk2-tk3]

Way ahead of ya Dan, I've been making koji cured meats for a few years. My friends think I'm crazy when I tell them I'm putting fungus on raw meat and leaving it out at 100F for a few days!

[@umamizaddy]

shio koji is my secret ingredient to fantastic dipping sauces, like ginger scallion.

[@MickyELee]

My market has koji rice in bulk. Now I know where to go with that. Thanks!

[@borderlineiq]

Good cooks, and great chefs, are always looking to expand their possibilities. Thank you, Dan, for taking the alien and making it user friendly for us all.

[@ernestmchugh3132]

Dano, you're such a fox and awesome chef! You need to have your own show.

[@Bison162]

This is the first time I've ever heard of Koji. Can't believe I've never heard of it before!

[@dinkadoo1918]

I bought Koji rice to try on my sous vide steaks, but I've never actually gotten around to it. I've heard it makes it taste like dry aged. Now you have me ready to try again!

[@shadowmsc7278]

I've never heard of it, but I think I need it now.

[@griffsimcox9459]

koji is awesome... and SHiO koji is the easiest to use IMO. Quick pickles, meatloaf, fish it seams to work well for almost anything. the smell is intoxicating :) Jeremy 's ted talk is awesome BTW

[@kennethweldon5153]

A Small Good charcuterie from Maine in the US is made with koji...fantastic!

[@GrotrianSeiler]

Fascinating video. Dan is the best.

[@gailaltschwager7377]

Thank you, Dan!

[@abigchair]

i bought some koji a while ago planning to make miso and other things but totally forgot. this is a good reminder and inspiration!

[@cathyflash9003]

Dan I love you! Can you please explain tahini to us? Why does it taste so different from sesame? Why does it thicken so much when you add acid to it? There's gotta be some weird science happening there.

[@MagicznaPanda]

It's actually the water that "thickens" tahini. Carbohydrates present in tahini are drawn to water molecules - and the mixture thickens, at least until you add enough water to significantly dilute it.

[@GregoryTomkiel-TobysFriends]

Not only am I already down the rabbit hole I used Shio Koji on the rabbit

[@robhimself79]

That was an impreza WRX STI! Show some respect!

[@JudyCZ]

Ok, Dan, you win. I'm buying shijo koji online right now.

[@stratecheese1302]

Well, this isn't my first time to hear about Koji. It was Shokugeki no Soma where I learn Koji for the first time. But hey, now I learn more about it now!

[@mozata6838]

How have you not talked about Onions yet?!?!

[@playgroundchooser]

I've only run across koji once.. when I brewed my own sake in college. ☺

[@rachelcarson7019]

Yes further down the rabbit hole please! Game changer indeed! 😃

[@myunmyun17]

塩麹もおいしいですが醤油と混ぜて寝かせた醤油麹もおいしいですよ

[@NomadicLiving]

Awesome! Can't wait to give it a try!

[@annetaylor4280]

Interesting . I just stumbled on your channel while looking up koji. New fan. Thx 👍

[@jl50950]

Koji marinated steak is the bomb!

[@carolbrown3640]

Oh Dan - you pushed me down the koji rabbit hole. My life may never be the same :-) And let me tell you what a difference it makes with bbq chicken on the grill. I always dread our camping meals - but this one was fit for an emperor!

[@skeeterhmcr]

Been experimenting with combining koji with fish sauce (a la modernist cuisine). Omit the salt and water, and make a mixture of 50/50 (by weight) of koji and fish sauce.

[@haydenamaro]

Super cool! This is my favorite video from ATK yet.

[@caezsty]

The how to eat sections of these videos is my favorite

[@davidfoxrn]

You're the man Dan!!

[@colinwomack5098]

So, Best Friend Dan, you're telling me that Koji does wonders for a 2004 Subaru Impreza, but what can it do for my 2014 Honda Civic?

[@voodoo2882]

thx....for the idea!! koji will be ordered and used. a resturant/bar here in the bay area used koji on the new york steaks we ordered ........holi cow batman I am researching........................koji

[@judi6609]

I'd be very interested in learning more about using (purchased) koji to make vegan cheeses (from nuts, seeds and tofu). Thanks!

[@PerryCameron]

Looking forward to trying 👍🏾

[@sarahbuttell6367]

Oh my!!! tThis sounds like a lot of fun to play with. 🤤

[@ltkell2028]

Can you put a whole Turkey (22lb) in a brine with this then roast as usual? If so for how long would it stay in the brine, what amount is suggested & are there any "special" ways or tips you'd suggest to insure it comes out fantastic? I love your segments especially since both cooking & science are my passion!!

[@dufuss5158]

Give us more koji ideas/recipes!!

[@philstat100]

Thank You. I need to learn more.

[@sandrariley-s2e]

I am so far down the Shoi koji rabbit 🐇 hole I never want to go back❤.After a year of shio koji salmon, koji chicken,and shio koji carrots I'm about to try a small turkey breast 😋

[@HaZe905]

I love ATK so much...

[@O0hhlala]

Thanks for sharing. I seriously love all the science behind your cooking methods. It’s reminiscent of Alton Brown’s Good Eats. I just made your Korean chicken wings tonight and they were so good! It tasted just like Korea town NYC bon chon wings if not better!

[@agosh05]

What perfect timing! I just ordered some Koji spores today!

[@marleee.2174]

Now I’m hungry. Thanks, Dan...

[@MelanieAt]

Well I gotta try this now.

[@chihuahuasrule1175]

I'm sooo down that rabbit hole...🐰🐇🐇 Give me more info and recipes! 👀😍💗

[@hong_kitchen]

Thanks for your inspiration and I just my first ever Shio Koji. :)

[@zebmccollum]

I first heard about koji from Gastropod. They talk in depth about Jeremy’s experiments.

[@Pitusha]

O boi o boi I totally want to go down that rabbit hole there

[@MMuraseofSandvich]

Having messed with shio-koji for the better part of a decade, the foodie in me is cheering.

[@cynthiarobinson3048]

Totally intrigued!

[@none941]

Thank you, Dan. You've convinced me! Cheers!

[@irishredbone8996]

Very interesting Dan; I will experiment; thanks

[@CorbiniteVids]

if the amylase from koji breaks down starches I wonder if you could isolate the amylase and cook beans with it to change the flavor and make them less gassy

[@johndifrancisco3642]

If I try this I can't let anyone see it because it looks and seems gross =0 Is that wrong? But I'll try anything once. And I am wondering if you should use my other spices with it or does it stand alone? I'll probably try it alone first, and then with my Montreal Steak or Chicken Seasoning. I use that sh_t on everything :) Thanks Dan, and I love that they are giving you more time on the show.

[@AirrowRocket]

Now you're all going to go buy Rice Koji.

[@tawpgk]

I did, for sure!

[@chihuahuasrule1175]

Mmmhmm 😍

[@chriholt]

Wow, very interesting! Thanks Dan!

[@reeffeeder]

Awesome video. Must try Koji now!

[@cidnep]

Been there for good time and can't leave.

[@sceptre1067]

oh and you might want to give Noma some credit as that is where Chang admits he was influenced to start experimenting

[@sceptre1067]

well my miso should be ready, so time to make more koji. 😀

[@hungsu9204]

Superb. Thank you.

[@c.h.1073]

Dude do a video with Dan making miso

[@baileymorgan3820]

Where can I buy that Cold Mountain brand of Koji rice??

[@MatthewTovar0]

I'm on board! Gonna try some of these! I have been interested in making homebrew amazake. Maybe its time I actually try it and start using koji in my cooking. Thank you for the inspiration!

[@RodTejada502]

Im intrigued.

[@OnePotMeals]

The guys at Sous Vide Everything did a nice video on Koji

[@trishmb8063]

I bought some Kiki a while ago but haven’t used it....guess I will be now!

[@billschultz7702]

Wait... how do you use it in sourdough bread???

[@buddy77587]

Fantastic!!!!!

[@Claudi771]

Wanna try, definitely!

[@lorena1628]

I'm interested! I like how approachable the koji rice is as a vehicle.

[@dannabanana3796]

I’ve got a couple of rib-eyes packed in koji right now. I can’t wait to try the steaks 🥩