This famous traditional tsukemono is pretty difficult. We’ll, it’s not difficult, the process is pretty simple…but so hard to continue, and it give us a lot of pressure like we need to mix it well everyday, or feel like I’m not good wife/mother/lady when it goes bad…
Anyway, this is true that the taste of Nukazuke has nice characteristic flavour and taste, and this is super food as the nuka bed creates a mass of microorganisms.
You may not have such feeling as Japanese but learning about this fermentation technique is very informative. Using mason jar makes a lot less care and pressure to live with this . I’m so exciting to share with you!!
Today, I would like to invite you all to the free barley miso making event!
Last year we held a free doburoku making event here at the Japanese Koji Fermentation Village.
If you go to our past post, you can find the information. Please check it out if you’re interested.
We wanted to do something this year as well, and this idea just came up in my mind.
Miso we will be making this time is a little bit different from the common miso in Japan; it is made from chickpeas and barleykoji.
This event will be a great opportunity for people…
-who have never tried making miso
-who is interested in koji but don’t know much about it
-who have made miso before but have never tried making it the traditional Japanese way.
Also this would be helpful for people
-who doesn’t feel like to make it alone
-who doesn’t have any idea how to get the ingredients and tools.
This is not a paid class, so we may not be able to provide as much details as usual, but it is a great opportunity for those who are interested in learning just about the process.
We’d be happy to push your backs if you always wanted to try it but never took the action.
If you are interested in learning more about koji, please consider taking a online/in-person class.
The flow of this event will be as follows:
1. RSVP using the registration form.
2. We will send you an email so that you can prepare your own materials and tools for the event.
3. Purchase or make Mugi (barley) koji. You may be able to buy it at your local store or make your own. If necessary, we will connect you to koji advisors in your local area. You can purchase them from the Koji Advisors.
4. On the day before the event – soak chickpeas in water for the next day.
5. Start boiling chickpeas about an hour before the event, so that chickpeas are properly boiled by the time Zoom starts.
6. Join the Zoom and make miso together!
7. Let it ferment for 3 to 4 months
*If you cannot attend the Zoom on the day of the event, later we will send you a video of how to make it, so that you can watch it and try making it yourself.
*If you are not able to get the ingredients on the day of the event, you can still participate in the Zoom. Enjoy the miso talk with everyone.
Questions? Please feel free to contact me anytime!
Ops, I should post this to the ‘page’ not here as ‘blog’! It already sent to the people who subscribe my post, so I won’t delete this post. Please enjoy!
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(If you have an injury on your hand)
Good morning everyone!
Today I’d like to talk about what to do if you have an injury on your hand.
This was a question I asked a few years ago when I first started taking my koji-mastor Nakaji’s koji school.
“If I cut my finger, is it okay to put that hand into koji or koji products?
If I just say ‘cut the finger’, there are some level of it, don’t you think?
Is it still bleeding? If it already stopped bleeding, but the scar is too deep and slightly clear liquid remind? Or maybe a scab has formed?
Nakaji-san’s answer was
As long as it’s not bleeding, you’re fine.
That’s it.
He said that as long as you wash your hands properly without putting a band-aid on, you can continue working – but make sure it’s not bleeding!
This was a bit of an eye-opener for me.
Of course, “washing your hands properly is the most important thing.”
However, in my opinion, if I can see a little bit of clear liquid, I don’t want to work on it. But if it’s a scab, it’s probably fine. I’ll wash my hands really really well.
I think it’s a good tip to keep in mind for your “home fermentation” life.
Still keep in mind that…. This totally doesn’t make sense for people who handle food with a very strict hygiene control, like restaurant and food industry. In that case, you should use rubber gloves or follow the rules according to the law.
If you work at the manufacture that deals with koji products for business, you probably don’t want people who have an injury on their finger. I’m sure there are other people who can do it for people who has injured their hand.
But here, I’m talking about a living person – not a manufacture – who handles live bacteria at home.
Food safety is the number one priority for sure, but we should have a proper knowledge of how living people deal with living bacterias in this living world. We are alive as there are tons of bacterias surrounding on our hand, it is different from machine hand.
Proper fermentation process will bring safer food preparation. Because we don’t break the balance in this universe. Studying fermentation is the whole of living study.
Here is a voice from a new member who joined us this March. The Yearly program has been started in January, but she has already made white miso many times before, and making doburoku is quite quick and easy, so I let her to catch up the program by herself.
It must have been very difficult to keep up with all the programs in March and April. Especially these two months were busy with some special event, but it won’t be every month…
I am quite happy to hear from her as she is happy with what I want to do.
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I can honestly say that my first month as a member has flown by in a blur. I first joined because I wanted to make mirin (sweet cooking rice wine), and then I decided to study koji for a year as an annual member.
The good thing was that we were not only taught how to make koji and other seasonings, but we also learned about the history and origins of koji, the differences between regions, and many other interesting things.
In addition to koji, there are classes a couple of times a month on various topics such as dietary education and home care based on oriental medicine, and I enjoy having the opportunity to learn a wide variety of things.
At first, I was a bit bewildered by the fact that we had to meet every other week or every few days (laughs), but the members who were studying with us ranged from those with a lot of experience to those with deep knowledge in various fields. Wow! It’s refreshing to see the scales of information flying around every day.
Although the practical training after the online course is individual work, Shiori is always available to answer questions and give appropriate advice, and the chat group is a perfect system for sharing and giving advice.
The most impressive thing about Shiori’s style is that she always reminds us to listen carefully to the koji and to face the seasonings as if we were having a conversation with them. It is easy to give solutions and answers when faced with a problem, but let them to have a time to think so that they can think about what is happening in their own situation and find the answer, because koji changes in different ways in different areas and environments.
Talk with the koji which is in front of you, respect them, pretend that you are koji to feel and imagine what they want at this moment. I think this is the same as in human relationships, and I am reminded through my daily activities that koji is a living thing.
I enjoy making the mirin (sweet cooking rice wine) and soy sauce, and I enjoy my koji life.
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Koji Flower -The Koji Academy- May Class is “Bodaimoto” and it’s running now. I combined the Japanese and English in a same group, and everyone is working with Bodaimoto so seriously.
In June, We will finally do Rice koji Making Class!! If you are interested in taking a class on Rice Koji making, please contact me at:
-Want to learn about koji in a comprehensive program -Want to start koji business in a future -Want to inherit koji culture, Japanese culture -Want to learn about our health, body and mind with koji -Are interested in the oriental medicine approach -Want to learn how to use koji for themselves and their family -Want to learn at their own pace online
This is the best learning method for those who want to learn at their own pace online.
All class runs at the Facebook group page, using chat to communicate.
Every month, we will have a theme and learn different koji condiments. The basic information is already there in the Facebook Group page with tutorial videos and documents, and you can learn at your own pace.
In addition, there will be one hour Zoom meeting every month, this is the time where we can talk directly and I can answer based on everyone’s interests and requests. I have found that this is a much better way than just listening to my basic lecture. All Zoom meeting will be recorded so that you can watch it later. Of course you can talk with me anytime through chat.
For those of you who are quite busy everyday, this program is good for you too. You can study at your own pace, and I will remind you where we are at, so that you can keep up with everything.
Here is the detail of Koji Advisor Training Course in 2023
Yearly Member（1st year/2nd year） Registered yearly(Incluing all 3 semesters）：CA$900/year
-All payments made by credit card will be required +3% handling fee. -If your residence is in Canada, we recommend Etransfer, which has no fees!
Semester 1 ーKan Shikomi（If you take only this semester：CA$400)
Jan
Preparing basic shiro(white)miso and Mugi(barley)miso
Feb
Easy doburoku, open the basic shiro(white)miso
Mar
Preparing Aka(red)miso
April
Preparing Mirin, and Shoyu
Semester 2 – Foundation of making Rice koji and how to make sake （If you take only this semester：CA$250)
May
Foundation of Rice koji making-very important month!
June
Bodaimoto 菩提酛 – advanced level of doburoku(sake)
7月/July ー8月/Aug Summer vacation
Semester 3 – making koji using Soybeans, barley, and shoyu. Open the miso, mirin, shoyu that we prepared earlier in this year（If you take only this semester：CA$400)
Sep
how to make shoyukoji and lecture of shoyu
Oct
how to make barley koji and lecture of barley miso
Nov
how to make Soybean Koji and lecture of aka(red)miso
Dec
Mirin lecture, Osechi(Japanese new year’s dish)
This is how this program works
-Join facebook
-Join group chat
-Join each event page that is in the semester
-Study yourself follow by “guide” – mainly watch video and take note
-submit the note(optional)
-Attend 1/month Zoom lecture
-before Zoom lecture or after the lecture, you actually start prepare the koji products by yourself.
-keep the report in the event page, I will respond your work(will be your note for your future)
-you will be supported in a chat group and ask question anytime
2nd year Program
1
Kyoto style white miso
2
(Barley) Kinzanji miso
3
Brown Rice koji making
4
Grow Rice koji yeast and make a bread
5
Bodaimoto
6
Business workshop
7
white soysauce (wheat koji making)
8
Haccho miso (soybean koji only miso)
9
Amazake
10
Nukazuke
For question / concern please use the form below to contact me.
（日本語は、この下です。因みに日本語での味醂クラスは、英語のクラスと違う日程になっておりますのでお間違えなく！） Mirin Online Class will start this coming Saturday!!(English version)
(こちら、英語クラスバージョンです）
Have you ever heard about Mirin Before? Mirin is a sweet condiment made by koji and an alcohol. Mirin is so much involved in the our food culture, we can’t talk about Japanese cousine without Mirin.
However, the ones that you have seen in North America is not a good one. None of them are made by the traditional way.
Why?
This is also the same in Japan; most of the people in Japan don’t know.
I believe making Mirin is the easiest compare to other koji fermentation. And it’s super delicious. This is a magical condiment that creates all kinds of changes in all foods.
For more information about the class, please visit the link below: https://kojiflower.eeeagency.com/product/onlinemirin2020/
Zoom Class(in English) runs every Sat starting at 10 am(Toronto time)
Last night, we had a Zoom lecture: Barley Miso Online Class (Japanese). There were about 14 people, and there will be some people who are going to catch up by watching the recorded lecture.
One of the best things about having an online lecture is that it gives people more flexibility; people can learn at their own pace using their spare time. This allows them to have more opportunities to take classes that they’ve always wanted.
At the same time, I believe that face to face lecture is also important. I always enjoy talking with people by Zoom, and I am very happy to have the flexibility to talk according to people’s interests.
Barley Miso is the miso that I grew up with. It is famous on the south side of Japan which is the area where I’ve come from. However, I’ve forgotten the taste of barley miso since I left my hometown. There are many different kinds of Barley miso that you can find in the local store, but since I moved to Toronto, I just didn’t have the chance to taste the barley miso.
Even though I thought that I lost the taste and the smell of barley miso, all of my senses, the memory of barley miso came back when I went back to Japan and just had a sip the miso soup!
The meaning of running Barley Miso class, maybe for me, who wants to understand more about my identity, is for myself.
I always think that “the more I teach, the more I learn.”
I am thankful to be able to have an opportunity to teach. I will spread this knowledge to people all around the world who needs it. I look forward to working with you in the future…!
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Mirin class will start on Oct 3rd 2020 for 3weeks If you would like to join, please see https://kojiflower.eeeagency.com/2020/08/2020fallschedule/
Koji Flower’s advanced members who have been taking my class since April will join this event and sell the koji products that they have been making by themselves.
-Total of 2 classes for Easy Doburoku(Sake) Making Class –
Aug 29 – Easy Doburoku(sake) making class – how to make Doburoku Sep 05 – Easy Doburoku(Sake) Making Class – lectures
Total of 3 classes for General White Miso (shiro miso) Class
Sep 12 – Basic instruction of making Shiro miso Sep 19 – All about Miso – serious lecture! OCt 17 – Let’s open up your Miso!
Fermentation talking day – anyone can join for Free – Sep 26
Total of 3 classes for Mirin Class
Oct 03 – Preparation of making Mirin Oct 10 – Mirin making day + serious lecture Dec 12 – Let’s filter your Mirin, how to take care of it
Total of 4 classes for Rice Koji Making Class
Oct 24 – Introduction -get ready to make Rice koji Oct 31 – Lecture of Rice Koji – first attempt to making rice koji Nov 7 – About Tane Koji(koji spore) – 2nd attempt to making rice koji Nov 14 – More ides of how to use koji , history and Japanese culture
You need to get Tane koji to take this class. It may takes a month to deliver it from Japan, so please contact me ASAP to talk about it for more detail.
Total of 3 classes for bodaimoto菩提酛-advanced sake making Class
Nov 21 – get ready to make Doburoku – introduction and soyashi mizu- Nov 28 – honshikomi – 本仕込み Dec 05 – lectures of Bodaimoto, how to use sakekasu(sake lees) Danshikomi 段仕込み（if we have enough time)
How to join the class:
Please use the form below to enroll or email to kojiflowershiori@gmail.com
Online class fees:
-You can join at any class! $60/class
-package class price is reasonable : Easy Sake Making Class (2 classes) $120 → $90 White Miso Class (3 classes) $180 → $130 Mirin Class (3 classes) $180 → $130 Bodaimoto Class(3 classes) $180 →$130 Rice Koji Making Class(4 classes) $240 →$190
Every class included: -One hour face to face Zoom lecture, (it will be recorded for you to use) -supporting your makings through SNS -answering all questions through SNS -you will be asked to submit report during your making
You can pay by Paypal: kojiflowershiori@gmail.com or by credit card: please see our online store If you live in Canada, you can e-transfer me to shiori@eeeagency.com
I look forward seeing and working with you at the class!
