Koji Alchemy (ENG)

Koji is a fungus that humans have used for thousands of years to produce foods such as soy sauce, miso, sake, gochujang, and literally dozens of other foods, all marked by their savory, umami-rich flavors.

In Koji Alchemy, two koji-obsessed chefs explore and expand upon traditional knowledge of koji fermentation to address its application to non-traditional ingredients and processes. Rich Shih, renowned for his koji workshops, and Jeremy Umansky, a Cleveland chef and James Beard Award nominee, offer an accessible yet technically detailed overview of koji's uses. And while koji fermentation is fundamentally a slow-transformation process, they also demonstrate how koji can be applied to achieve almost immediate results by incorporating it into pastes and sauces beyond shoyu and miso.

To be frank, this is a book for fermentation enthusiasts who will be thrilled to see headings like "spore dispersal instructions," "glass jar containers," "playing with the surface," and "a clever way to deal with unintentional alcohol buildup." There are chapters on making alcohol and vinegar, aging meat and charcuterie, working with dairy, eggs, and vegetables, and even using koji in sweet and baked goods. Appendices include a section on food safety and another providing an HACCP plan for dried meat products.

Impressive and practical.