Episode 163: Born to Preserve the Koji Culture

Our guest today is Koichi Higuchi of Higuchi Matsunosuke Shoten in Osaka, Japan. His business is to provide koji starters to manufacturers of traditional fermented foods in Japan, such as miso, soy sauce, sake ... you name it! Indeed, koji, the beneficial mold, is a quintessential element of Japanese food culture. Koji is also becoming a buzz word in the global culinary industry. For example, René Redzepi of Noma, the renowned restaurant in Denmark, included koji in his recent book "The Noma Guide to Fermentation". In this episode, Koichi will discuss his 6th generation-old family business, what koji is, how to use it, and much, much more!!! It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the world how much you love HRN, just go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate Japan Eats is powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.