Clearspring’s Organic Japanese Umami Paste with Chilli is a paste which can be added to numerous dishes to enhance their overall Umami flavour.
Think of it as a natural flavouring, which will enhance the taste of any dish.
Traditionally made by adding a Koji culture to rice and leaving it to naturally ferment, the Umami is then mixed with soya sauce and chilli to create this incredibly moreish and versatile condiment.
What is koji culture?
Koji is cooked rice and/or soya beans that have been inoculated with a fermentation culture, Aspergillus oryzae. Koji, spores are mixed into steamed rice (wheat and soybeans are also used, depending on the purpose), then allowed to mature for a period of time in a warm environment, about 50 degrees Celsius.
The koji turns the starch in the rice into sugar (a process called saccharification) and releases a variety of fatty acids and amino acids including glutamate, the basis of umami.
Koji is the secret behind most Japanese cooking and is used to make soya sauce, miso, mirin and sake. It has been designated as the National Fungus of Japan due to its importance in Japanese food culture.
