noun
koji
KOHD-zhee
noun
1
Rice, barley, or soybeans that have been inoculated with a mold and fermented, used as a starter to make sake, miso, soy sauce, and similar foods.
"The brewery let the koji cultivate for two days before adding it to the mash."
"Miso gets its distinctive flavour from koji fermentation."
How to Use Koji
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA fermented grain used to kick-start the making of sake, miso, and soy sauce.
Common pairings
koji rice
koji mold
Word Forms
kojis plural
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The brewery let the _____ cultivate for two days before adding it to the mash.
Etymology
From Japanese 麹 (kōji), the fermenting agent used across Japanese cuisine.