WORKSHOP
Atelier · Workshop
米麹発酵ワークショップ Rice Koji Fermentation Workshop — Annual Program
A hands-on program held twice a month where you make a fermented condiment to take home and taste delicious dishes prepared with the finished product on the spot. Learn the wisdom of fermentation through the four seasons.
Workshop Concept
Make & Taste
Each session, you prepare a fermented condiment to take home, then cook and enjoy dishes made with the ready-made version on the spot.
Four Seasons
Each month's theme is inspired by Japanese seasonal events and peak-season ingredients, bringing a sense of the seasons to every session.
Step by Step
Starting with beginner-friendly shio-koji and amazake, the program gradually advances to more complex preparations like miso and mirin.
Spring (March – May)
Fermentation basics & spring detox. We start with the most essential fermented condiments and discover how koji softens the bitterness of spring vegetables.
March
Session 1
📅 Date TBD
Basic Shio-Koji
Dishes to taste
Shio-koji fried chicken & spring cabbage shio-koji salad
The most versatile fermented condiment — experience how it tenderizes meat in a remarkable way.
Coming SoonSession 2
📅 Date TBD
Basic Shoyu-Koji (Soy Sauce Koji)
Dishes to taste
Shoyu-koji tamago kake gohan & new onion shoyu-koji dressing salad
Intensely umami-rich shoyu-koji — even a simple rice-and-egg dish reveals the difference.
Coming SoonApril
Session 1
📅 Date TBD
Rice Koji Amazake — "Drinkable IV Drip"
Dishes to taste
Amazake & strawberry spring smoothie, amazake French toast
Easy amazake made in a thermos — perfect for recovering energy during a busy new season.
Coming SoonSession 2
📅 Date TBD
Sugar-Free Sweets with Amazake
Dishes to taste
Amazake & rice flour pancakes, amazake whipped cream
Learn to use amazake as a natural sweetener — a guilt-free treat for the whole family.
Coming SoonMay
Session 1
📅 Date TBD
Refreshing Lemon Shio-Koji
Dishes to taste
Lemon shio-koji pork sauté, grilled asparagus
A bright, citrusy twist on classic shio-koji — perfectly suited to early summer's sunny days.
Coming SoonSession 2
📅 Date TBD
Koji Natto (Double Fermentation)
Dishes to taste
Koji natto lettuce wraps, bonito & koji natto salad
A regional specialty combining natto with koji and vegetables — an irresistible rice companion.
Coming SoonSummer (June – August)
Beat the heat with spicy fermentation. When appetite fades in the summer heat, we combine koji with spices and acidity to power through the season.
June
Session 1
📅 Date TBD
Ume (Plum) Shio-Koji
Dishes to taste
Sardine simmered in ume shio-koji, cucumber & ume shio-koji salad
A seasonal shio-koji variation using fresh green plums — the bright acidity awakens the appetite.
Coming SoonSession 2
📅 Date TBD
Fermented Gochujang (Spicy Miso)
Dishes to taste
Authentic bibimbap, yangnyeom chicken
Handmade sweet-and-spicy Korean condiment using rice koji — bold, summery flavours.
Coming SoonJuly
Session 1
📅 Date TBD
Chilled Amazake Drinks
Dishes to taste
Cold amazake & tomato soup, amazake sorbet
Amazake — a classic summer remedy in Japan — reimagined as a refreshing chilled dessert.
Coming SoonSession 2
📅 Date TBD
Spice Curry Paste (Shio-Koji Base)
Dishes to taste
Shio-koji chicken curry, summer vegetable achar
A versatile paste made simply by mixing shio-koji with spices — roux-free, restaurant-quality curry.
Coming SoonAugust
Session 1
📅 Date TBD
Fermented Negi-Shio Sauce (Chinese-Style)
Dishes to taste
Pork belly & eggplant negi-shio stir-fry, cold tofu with negi-shio
An all-purpose sauce that makes the most of summer vegetables — packed with stamina-boosting flavour.
Coming SoonSession 2
📅 Date TBD
Homemade Ginger Ale (Koji Ginger Syrup)
Dishes to taste
Homemade ginger ale, ginger syrup pork shogayaki
A fermented syrup of ginger and rice koji — the spicy freshness is the perfect summer refresher.
Coming SoonAutumn (September – November)
Harvest season & aged flavours. We explore peak-season mushrooms and root vegetables alongside condiments that reward a little extra patience.
September
Session 1
📅 Date TBD
Mushroom Shoyu-Koji Pickle
Dishes to taste
Autumn salmon & mushroom shoyu-koji foil bake, mushroom rice
Marinating seasonal mushrooms in shoyu-koji doubles their umami — a wonderful preserved food.
Coming SoonSession 2
📅 Date TBD
Cosy Autumn Sweets with Amazake
Dishes to taste
Sweet potato amazake mont blanc, amazake chai
Sweet potato, chestnut, and other autumn flavours paired with amazake — a gentle, warming treat.
Coming SoonOctober
Session 1
📅 Date TBD
Homemade Nametake (Enoki Shoyu-Koji)
Dishes to taste
Homemade nametake with new-harvest rice, saury shio-koji grilled
The ultimate rice companion — homemade nametake is at its best alongside freshly harvested rice.
Coming SoonSession 2
📅 Date TBD
Fermented Ketchup (Tomato Koji)
Dishes to taste
Tomato koji braised hamburger steak, tomato koji minestrone
A deeply umami all-purpose condiment made from tomatoes and koji — it elevates any Western dish.
Coming SoonNovember
Session 1
📅 Date TBD
Homemade Hon-Mirin (True Mirin)
Dishes to taste
Chicken teriyaki, mirin lees (koboreme) crackers
Authentic mirin made from glutinous rice, koji, and shochu — the joy of waiting for it to mature over six months.
Coming SoonSession 2
📅 Date TBD
Cooking with Mirin Lees (Koboreme)
Dishes to taste
Root vegetable mirin-lees soup, white fish mirin-lees marinade
Discover how to use the precious lees left over from mirin-making — a rare and flavourful ingredient.
Coming SoonWinter (December – February)
Cold-weather fermentation & warming foods. The cold season is ideal for miso — fewer bacteria means better results — alongside hearty dishes to warm you from the inside out.
December
Session 1
📅 Date TBD
Shio-Koji Roast Pork for Entertaining
Dishes to taste
Shio-koji roast pork, shio-koji mushroom quiche
A showstopping fermented feast — perfect for Christmas and year-end celebrations.
Coming SoonSession 2
📅 Date TBD
Yuzu Shio-Koji
Dishes to taste
Yellowtail daikon with yuzu shio-koji, yuzu shio-koji napa cabbage pickle
A fragrant shio-koji variation using winter's signature citrus — a beautiful accent for New Year's cooking.
Coming SoonJanuary
Session 1
📅 Date TBD
Cold-Season Miso Making (Barley or Rice Miso)
Dishes to taste
Hearty pork tonjiru, miso-grilled rice balls
The best time of year to make miso. Everyone mashes soybeans together — the highlight event of the program.
Coming SoonSession 2
📅 Date TBD
Onion Koji — No Consommé Needed
Dishes to taste
Onion koji pot-au-feu, onion koji French onion soup
An all-purpose condiment that replaces consommé — warming soups that heat you to the core on cold winter days.
Coming SoonFebruary
Session 1
📅 Date TBD
Amazake Raw Chocolate & Truffles
Dishes to taste
Amazake raw chocolate, amazake hot cocoa
A healthy Valentine's treat made without heavy cream or refined sugar — pure indulgence, guilt-free.
Coming SoonSession 2
📅 Date TBD
Sake Lees & Koji Double Feature
Dishes to taste
Salmon kasujiru (sake lees soup), homemade bettara-zuke (amazake daikon pickle)
A traditional winter menu combining the power of sake lees and rice koji to carry you through the coldest days.
Coming Soon3 Keys to a Successful Workshop
Share the Joy of Waiting
Miso and mirin take months to mature. Creating a community — such as a social media group where participants share updates — keeps everyone engaged and connected throughout the process.
Take-Home Recipe Cards
Giving participants "3 recipes to try at home tonight" after each session encourages them to incorporate koji into their everyday cooking beyond the workshop.
Compare Koji Varieties
Setting up a mini tasting corner to compare supermarket dried koji with fresh koji from a local brewery or miso producer deepens participants' knowledge and satisfaction.