Shoyukoji / soy sauce rice malt

Shoyukoji is technically the base of soy sauce in the production process (see Kikkoman website). However, today the term is more commonly used to mean a mixture of shoyu soy sauce and koji rice malt, which has become popular in the last few years in Japan and among the Japanese community overseas. Just like shiokoji salted rice malt, shoyukoji is full of umami. In fact, its glutamic acid content is said to be 10 to 15 times of that of shiokoji.

Amazake no moto, amazake / amazake base & drink

A strikingly sweet wonder drink made of rice malt.

While today this opaque, white drink is more strongly associated with winter, especially with the New Year's holiday and Hinamatsuri Doll (Girls' Day) Festival on March 3, it used to be a health tonic in summer. Typically served hot in winter and cold in summer, often with ginger juice, this super healthy tonic contains nine essential amino acids and over 100 enzymes. Rich in glucose (20%) and oligosaccharide, it also contains vitamins (B1, B2, B6, B12, pantothenic acid, inositol and biotin). Amazake has been called a “drinkable I.V.,” which shows how nutritional it is.

Amazake is mentioned in Nihonshoki, an early 8th-century history book, and its use goes back hundreds years before the book. This primitive drink is now easily made in a common modern appliance – the rice cooker!  

Shiokoji salted rice malt

A traditional seasoning made of rice malt and salt from the northern part of Japan, where it was mainly used to marinate fish or make vegetable pickles. A few years ago shiokoji started to receive lots of media attention all over Japan as a versatile seasoning full of umami. Shiokoji hydrolyzes carbohydrates and proteins into sugars and amino acids, thus boosting the umami in other food when used as a seasoning. Because of this property, chicken breasts marinated in shiokoji, for example, will be moist and supple – not dry -- when cooked. Shiokoji also tenderizes proteins, and tough red meat marinated in shiokoji will turn out very tender. Because of the salt added to preserve finished shiokoji, it can be used as a full or partial replacement for salt or soy sauce. When a small amount is added to ordinary scrambled eggs, they become super fluffy. It is truly amazing.