Fermented rice pickled vegetables

 

Shio Koji half day pickled Khol Rabi

 

After reading Koji Alchemy, I have to admire the work that have been done by those western chefs, extensive tests on various food items, with detail scientific explanation so that readers feel safe to follow. Also wondered why I, having eaten fermented rice since young and in recent years make it and rice wine regularly, have not thought of such new ways of using it.

Basically koji (the now well known name for this rice ferment) is a mould that produce enzymes to convert starch to sugar, protein and fatty acid to smaller chain molecules. The Chinese version (a dry white ball or cube) contains yeast too, that convert sugar to alcohol.

 

Traditionally in Asia, Koji is used at home on cooked grains, mostly rice, to make the dessert or rice wine. More experienced people use it to make soy sauce or fermented bean paste.

 

In this book, the chefs tested using Koji fermented rice, most often salted with 5% salt (Shio Koji) to pickle vegetables, converting part of the starch/protein/fatty acid content into more diverse flavors. They also use it on dairy products, nut, curing meat and fish.... generating new flavors.

 

fermented rice with 5% salt

I quickly make some fermented rice, salted at 5% to keep in the fridge, and start playing with it. First is pickling Khol Rabi for half a day, and cooked potato and egg for a week.

I have been making half day salt pickled Khol Rabi every week, love the crunchy mildly sweet taste. This Shio Koji pickled Khol Rabi is still crunchy and mildly sweet, but with an underlying floral honey aroma.

 

Shio Koji cured cooked potato and eggs

The 1 week pickled cooked egg is nothing special, just feel salty, but the pickled cooked potato has a celery/parsley herb flavor, very pleasant and most amazing to taste the result.