[For Busy Mornings, Ume Shio Koji Natto]

Shio koji, or salted rice malt, is a very useful ingredient to keep in your refrigerator. Just a little bit of it adds a lot of flavor to simmered dishes and stir-fries, so I use it every day.

There are countless recipes using shio koji, but my recent favorite is ume (plum) shio koji natto. I buy natto without sauce, add shio koji and sour pickled plums, and mix them together. Put it on top of rice and sprinkle a lot of ground sesame and dried bonito flakes. The rice is hot and the moderate sweetness of the koji, the sourness of the pickled plums, and the aroma of the sesame and dried bonito flakes are irresistible. The refreshing taste makes it easy to eat in the morning when you are busy and don't have much of an appetite, and it is also a great way to take in koji without heating it. I feel like I have more energy on the day I go out after eating this.

To make ume shio koji natto, we recommend using Yamatada Katoen's Natto Bowl or Koizumi Glass's Flat Bottom Evaporating Dish 120mm, as they are easy to mix and put on top of rice.

I enjoy making shio koji little by little. What is your favorite way to eat it?

Yamatada Katoen's Natto Bowl
https://www.shokunin.com/en/yamatada/natto.html
Koizumi Glass's Flat Bottom Evaporating Dish 120mm
https://www.shokunin.com/en/koizumi/johatsu.html
Showroom Information
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/