66: Kōji — the magical mold of Japan w/ Claire Williamson

Japan Times food editor Claire Williamson joins Deep Dive to discuss her new found passion for Aspergillus oryzae, the mold better known in Japan as kōji. Jeremy Umansky and Rich Shih, authors of "Koji Alchemy: Rediscovering the Magic of Mold-based Fermentation," also give us the lowdown on what makes the mold so exciting for them. Hosted by Oscar Boyd



Read more: 

‘Koji Alchemy’: Fermentation enthusiasts are making mold magic (Claire Williamson, The Japan Times)

Recipe: Kōji — Japan's vital hidden ingredient (Makiko Itoh, The Japan Times)

The fermentation power of kōji, Japanese food's secret ingredient (Momoko Nakamura, The Japan Times)

Claire's favorite brand of shio kōji (Uminosei)

Order some kōji spores (Higuchi Moyashi)

On this episode:

Claire Williamson: Articles | Instagram

Special Guests: Jeremy Umansky, Rich Shih and Thomas Frebel

Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram



Koji Alchemy:

Get your hands on a copy of Jeremy Umansky and Rich Shih's book "Koji Alchemy: Rediscovering the Magic of Mold-based Fermentation" now. Order online via Wordery or Amazon.



Announcements:

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Photo: A bowl of kōji-infused rice, Getty Images