Processed
Brown Rice Koji
A tier
Brown rice koji is grown on unpolished rice, so bran oils and fibre stay in the cake. The aroma is toastier and more wholegrain than white rice koji; the enzymes still saccharify, but amazake and shio koji come out cloudier and more robust. Macrobiotic and whole-food kitchens prefer it; sake brewers generally do not, because bran fights a refined ferment. Incubation can be trickier: bran holds moisture unevenly and can invite the wrong moulds if the pile overheats. Buy from a maker who knows brown rice, or polish less rather than dumping bran onto a white-rice recipe. Dried brown rice koji is the usual mail-order form.
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Characteristics
Preparations
Traits
History
Macrobiotic and genmai kitchens popularised koji grown on brown rice.
Health-food amazake used brown rice koji for a wholegrain sweet drink.
Organic koji houses offered dried brown rice koji to export customers.
Western fermenters adopted brown rice koji for rustic shio koji and miso.