Koji: The Mother of Japanese Cuisine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ctgj-DJxDIendofvid
[starttext]
Koji: The Mother of Japanese Cuisine
---
http://www.japansociety.org/event/koj...

Koji, grains cultured with koji mold, is a fermentation starter for Japanese food such as miso, soy sauce and sake. Mixed with salt, it's called shio koji. Used for centuries, shio koji is known not only known to be enzyme rich, but also to enhance the flavor of meat, fish and vegetables through the marinating process. As a salt substitute, shio koji brings umami flavor into your food. In this lecture, Chef Koji Hagihara of the West Village's Hakata Tonton and Sake Samurai Timothy Sullivan explore the importance of koji as a foundation of Japanese cuisine. Chef Hagihara will also reveal his brand new recipes using koji products.

Tasting reception menu:
Grilled chicken brined in shio koji and minced vegetables
Local NY vegetables pickled with shio and shoyu koji
Ramen noodles with shoyu koji meat sauce

paired with

Hakkaisan Honjozo sake provided by Hakkaisan Sake Brewery

[endtext]