Inside Ingredients: Liquid Shio Koji

Shio koji, a traditional Japanese condiment made from fermented rice koji and salt, first appeared on my desk in September last year. Mike Hibberd, head chef of manufacturing at Morrison’s, told us he’d been experimenting with it in the development kitchen.

“I use it as a meat tenderiser, but it’s also great for seasoning because of the high salt content, and it imparts an incredible umami flavour and sweet aroma,” he said, revealing he’d been trying it with raw meat and fish, as a paste on bruschetta, and to spruce up avocado on toast, to name a few.