Gluten Free Liquid Shio Koji

Initial thoughts:I've officially declared that Tuesdays are steak night in our household and it's given me a great opportunity to work on my steak game...and also makes my family look forward to it every week. I bought this to add more of a dry aged flavor on steak after seeing some tiktoks and guga videos about it. Honestly I was a bit skeptical but I absolutely love the dry aged ribeye at my local restaurant and, with a 1 year old to chase around 24/7, I rarely have time to think let alone focus on dry aging and trimming steaks. Needless to say I used the following method without informing my wife and she absolutely RAVED about how good the steak was. She said it was the best steak she's ever had for both tenderness and flavor...I agreed!How I cooked it (NY strip this time):1.) Pat dry a quality marbled steak; place it in a ziplock and add just enough Shio Koji to coat the entire steak surface.2.) Remove all air from ziplock and let the steak marinate in Shio Koji for 2.5 hours in the fridge.4.) Remove steak from ziplock, wash off remaining shio koji, pat steak dry and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder (slightly less salt than normal due to the amount of salt in this product). Place steak on a drying rack over a sheet pan or on a trivet over a plate to dry brine in the fridge for another hour.5.) Place seasoned steak in a vacuum sealed or ziplock bag, removing all excess air. Sous vide (controlled temp water bath) at desired temperature (we prefer med rare around 135F) for 2.5-3 hours.6.) Remove steak from sous vide, place in fridge for 30+ minutes or until ready to cook for your meal. This step is important, because you can leave it in the fridge for an extended period of time to prep the rest of the meal before we sear in the final step. Also, getting the steak cooled down a little prevents overcooking depending on your searing technique.7.) Final step: Searing. Be aware that the shio koji marinade brings out the natural sugars in the meat, making the meat sear faster and harder than a normal steak which was definitely noticeable. I chose to sear the NY strip on our propane grill set to max heat and it seared beautifully in about 1/2 to 2/3 the normal time. Choose whichever searing technique is your favorite, let the steak rest for a few minutes and enjoy.8.) Flavor town.I chose to marinate the NY strip in shio koji for 2.5 hours for my first test of this product and the refined umami flavor profile and tenderization really shined through. I'll update my review as I experiment with different times and techniques for using this stuff. Im curious to see the possibilities.

I bought this product for the first time, and I love it! I’ve been struggling to make tough beef tender—I’ve tried pounding it, marinating with olive oil, onions, even milk—but shio koji worked the best. I marinated half-inch beef ribs with the bone for 20 minutes using shio koji, sake, and mirin, then grilled them on the BBQ. The result was not only tender but also full of rich umami flavor! I also made an easy pickle by slicing cucumbers and marinating them with shio koji, a little vinegar, and sugar, then chilling them in the fridge for 2 hours. I highly recommend shio koji for all kinds of dishes!

This stuff is great. Just as advertised. Makes all kinds of meat very tender

Hanamaruki is the only company that produces a liquid shio koji seasoning like this, with no rice solids. Because it is crystal clear, it can be used in much the same way you might use soy sauce, and I find that mixing it with soy sauce in my favorite Japanese recipes creates a new and interesting combination of flavors. There's really nothing else like this on the market, except to say that the closest thing I've had, other than traditional shio koji, is maybe a 100% wheat shiro shoyu or "golden tamari". I've been cooking Japanese food all my life, but only discovered this product in my mid 50s, and from the first taste, I knew it would be a permanent staple in my pantry. Highly recommended for people who enjoy Japanese cuisine.

It seemed to be a little saltier than I expected. It does tenderize the meat well and adds good flavor. I just need to learn how to use it a little better.

Love this. I add to gravies but the newest is adding it to your egg wash for breading and frying. But it adds a great Unami to a lot of things.

really tenderizes beef, marinate over night.

Not what I thought

Vielseitig einsetzbar, Superqualität

There are so many hypes and fads in cookery these days that it's tempting to think shio koji is just another foodie craze, but it really does do food a lot of favours. This liquid version is the easiest way to use it.If you haven't used shio koji before, or if you don't like the traditional "porridge" type because of the texture, try it. It's not limited to Japanese recipes, or even to savoury ones. You can use it for everything from roasts to breads to mashed spuds to desserts, and it works particular wonders with scrambled eggs. It doesn't just tenderise food,; it also enhances the flavours and reduces the amount of salt you need. I've been making shio koji for some years because it's one of the easiest things to ferment at home, but I still keep a couple of bottles of the Hanamaruki liquid on hand for its ease of use.If you make shio koji from scratch, you'll end up with a runny porridge-like substance made up of very soft rice grains. (I often get a layer of liquid on top as well, which is a bonus, but there's never enough!) You can also blitz the porridge with a blender to make it into a smooth cream. But some people are put off by the texture, although it's used lumps and all in dressings, so this clear liquid is a painless way to get its benefits.I find there are two advantages with the liquid. One, shio koji in paste form burns easily, and if you use it as a marinade, you have to remove as much as you can before cooking, and that can be fiddly. But the liquid doesn't burn as easily and it's also easier to remove anyway. (I blot it with kitchen towel.) Two, it's fantastic for scrambled eggs, and liquids blend better with eggs. Add a couple of tablespoons to the beaten eggs and leave for at least fifteen minutes (or overnight in the fridge for maximum effect) and you'll have the fluffiest scrambled eggs ever. It lifts omelettes the same way.Overall, shio koji makes a big difference to both flavour and tenderness. Marinate skinless chicken in this liquid for 24 hours – enough in a plastic bag to coat it, no need to drown the chicken – and you'll have really tasty, juicy, extra-tender meat. I rarely use it use it on vegetables, but carrots I've pickled in shio koji are delicious. You can also use shio koji paste to cure hard-boiled eggs, cheeses, and tofu – I haven't tried that with the liquid, but I might give it a go.Try it – you won't be disappointed, and this bottle goes a long way.

As some have commented this can enhance flavour but does tenderise first and foremost.For cheaper cuts of beef/pork I place steaks or strips in a ziplock bag with Koji.You genuinely don’t need a lot of Koji (bottle good for 5-6 marinades at least) and you will actually see/notice the “digestive” action of the enzymes softening the meatYou can cook the meat in the marinade sauce - a few hours marinade works but the longer the better.

I use this to marinade meats and the results are astounding. It brings out the flavour and adds salt and umami. It adds dimension to flavours never before tasted.

Saw this used as a marinade (not necessarily this brand) on famous Saturday morning cooking show and had to try it. Marinated a couple of steaks prior to BBQ and it made them surprisingly soft and actually quite flavoursome. Will definitely use again.