Back-in-stock if you missed it. Ingredients: garlic, rice koji, salt. Shio Koji Garlic Paste is garlic that has been transformed into an umami bomb of flavor, creating an easy-to-spread delight!

Take the best characteristics of Shio Koji's magical flavor enhancers for food, and then add one of the most favorite flavors of all: garlic. Blend them together to get the most, and maybe even more, garlic taste into your life!

Think marinades, dipping sauces, dressings, and even pasta. The koji, which breaks down proteins, makes this paste perfect for fish and veggies that crave to be matched with garlic.

Because koji is alive with microorganisms, this spread is probiotic. So, while you eat your garlic potatoes, you're improving your gut health!

An easy, spreadable delight to have on hand next time you crave goodness and are camping in Forks.

Shop now for Yokofuku Shio Koji Garlic Paste!

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Liquid shio koji is a traditional Japanese ingredient that has gained popularity in recent years for its unique flavor and culinary applications. It is made from a mixture of fermented rice koji, salt, and water.

Koji is a type of fungus (Aspergillus oryzae) that is used in many Japanese culinary preparations, including sake, soy sauce, and miso. In the case of shio koji, rice is inoculated with the koji fungus and allowed to ferment for a period of time. During fermentation, enzymes produced by the koji break down the rice starches into simple sugars and convert proteins into amino acids, resulting in a complex flavor profile.

Shio koji translates to "salt koji" in Japanese, indicating that salt is an essential component of the product. The salt not only enhances the flavor but also helps to preserve the liquid shio koji. The fermentation process can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the desired flavor and consistency.

Liquid shio koji has a salty and slightly sweet taste with savory undertones. It has been described as having a rich umami flavor that enhances the taste of various dishes. The enzymes in shio koji also have a tenderizing effect on proteins, making it a useful marinade or seasoning for meats and seafood.

One of the key benefits of liquid shio koji is its ability to enhance the flavor of ingredients through enzymatic reactions. It can be used as a marinade for meat, poultry, or fish, where it helps to tenderize the proteins and add depth of flavor. It can also be used as a seasoning or sauce in various recipes, including soups, stir-fries, dressings, and marinades.

Shop now for Hanamaruki Liquid Shio Koji!

If anything can turn straw into gold, it would be Koji. I suspect that those who say Koji is not magic don't believe in magic, even when they see it right before their very eyes. For some things in life, explanations are only there to take the fear away from that which cannot be explained.

Koji was crafted 9,000 years ago, most likely under another name, in an earthen jar in China, and it has been a staple of food alchemy ever since. Just not so much here, at least not until recently.

To many, it is the newest food rage. In fact, it is not a food but a tool that harbors amazing little workers who can transform and change how and what we eat in ways that would never seem possible.

There is a lot of science in Koji. Papers have been written about the subject. Some are "dry," long-winded, and some so crusty they seem fermented themselves.

If you are interested in it, read the book "Koji Alchemy" by Rich Shih and Jeremy Umansky from your local bookshop. It is new this year and quite a spectacular read. If you want recipes for Koji, this "cookbook" is the place to get them and to help understand "it", too.

This domesticated mold was originally derived from a toxic mold, and before people start writing, it is not toxic now. This mold has a long history of making amazing food and alcohol.

Koji is a million spores, a thousand knives, cutting up the cells of proteins to make a better eating experience.

Perhaps the best thing about Koji is that it inspires you to explore in the kitchen. Throw out preconceptions; what you thought was true is by the wayside, and spread the love of Koji on your meat, your veggies, your meals so that life is renewed, optimistic, and a place where change can make things taste good at the same time as being the same.

Think of it as mold that is your friend and not your enemy. Once you get to know it, you will find it can make your life better. And once you get used to it all, pretty much, it will seem normal, like a friend that you always wished you had. Yes, it is different, but that is okay.

It is that difference that we all enjoy when it comes to enlightening our palates. It truly is a great way to expand our life and make our tongues happy! Transform the mundane into the insane.

Shop now for Rice Koji here!

Make your own miso, it might take longer than you think.

See the Homemade Red Miso Recipe here!

Nomura-san's aka (red) miso has a strong flavor, mixing sweet, salty and savory elements. This robustness in flavor is attained over a 3-year fermentation. This miso can be a great marinade for meats or used in miso soups that include vegetables like potatoes or pumpkin.

Shop now for Horikawaya Nomura Red Aka Miso here!

If you don't know miso, you should! It is a miracle paste that can enhance so many foods to taste better, different, more unique. From sweet to sour to baking, it can give a dish that extra push to magic.

What is miso? Simply, miso is a fermented paste of koji (Aspergillus oryzae) which breaks down the structure of rice, soybeans or barley, or a combination of them. This creates amino acids, fatty acids and simple sugars.

This potion is a way to add punch to a meatless broth or make a creamy salad dressing swoon!

Here are some really easy ways to try miso.

1) Combine miso and toasted sesame oil and spread it on the next fish you broil or grill.

2) Combine jam, vinegar and miso with sage, rosemary, and thyme and brush over a roast before cooking.

3) Mix then melt miso and butter, 1 to 1, and drizzle over cooked broccoli, Brussel sprouts, or green beans.

4) Add a quarter cup of miso to a soup and enhance the whole pot.

5) Make mustard miso by taking hot Chinese dry mustard (2 tsp. mustard - 3 tsp. water) as you normally would, add mirin (2 tbsp.), white miso (1/3 cup), purple sweet potato vinegar (3 tbsp.) and jaggery (1 - 1/2 tbsp.). Think of it as mustard for your next sandwich or to dip one of Scotty's pretzels.

6) Make mayonnaise better - 1/2 cup mayo with a 1 tsp. miso paste and a little vinegar.

7) Make a brown sugar - mix 2 tbsp. red miso with 1/2 cup Murakami Syouten Crushed Brown Sugar from Hateruma Island. Use as you would brown sugar in baking.

So many options and creative ideas for using miso. Just a little will make a difference in your life.

Shop now for White Kyoto Shiro Miso!

Easy - just add a little miso to the water and you're done!

See the easy Miso Glazed Carrots Recipe here!

A lovely brothy noodle soup that's simple to put together, super-healthy, and brimming with flavor, thanks to Mirin, Soy Sauce and Miso.

See the Udon Noodle Soup Recipe here!

Like the way gummy worms want to be. Sweet, delicious, with the perfect amount of chewy, as in not too much. Sweet like fruit can be and with no clingy, teeth grabbing pain that fake sugar does.

These amazing Natural Preserved Plums, Ameixa d'Elvas DOP, are the oldest sweets from the Alto Alentejo region in Portugal. With a process adapted from the Convent of Nossa Senhora da Consolacao in Elvas involving cooking in copper pots, resting at least 24 hours and cooking again. And then maturing for 2 months or more in a sugar syrup.

The result are these amazing sweetened plums.

Green Gage plums, also known simply as "Gage plums," are a variety of European plum (Prunus domestica). They are known for their small to medium-sized fruit, which is typically round or slightly oval in shape. Green Gage plums get their name from their green skin, which can vary in color from light green to yellowish-green when ripe. The flesh of the fruit is sweet, tender, and greenish-yellow in color.

These plums are prized for their exceptional flavor, which is often described as both, sweet and slightly tart, with a unique, rich, and honeyed taste. They are considered one of the finest dessert plums and are often eaten fresh, used in preserves, jams, tarts, and pies, or even made into liqueurs.

Shop now for Ameixa d'Elvas DOP - Convento do Serra!

Brooke's handmade Gomasio is one of our all-time favorites, blended with local harvest and sesame seeds the freshness is obvious with your first handful! Try the original or all 3!

Wonderful!
"This is my new favorite, I looooooove it. And I love that it's locally made. I basically inhaled the first bottle I purchased. Goes great with so many dishes, and it's a great healthy snack by itself. I am hoping I can talk ChefShop into carrying the larger size. YUM!"
-- Leigh

This product is superb!
-- Karen

Shop now for Gomasio made on Orcas Island!

Scotty combined a few different recipes to come up with this one.

Scotty's "extra" notes include:

1. Sometimes I add a touch of olive oil to the dough, before adding the flour and salt.

2. Usually add a pinch of white sugar to the water/yeast mixture. Helps to make sure the yeast is happy.

3. This method also makes the least amount of mess and dirties the least number of dishes. Very important!

See the Basic Pizza Dough Recipe here!

This recipe was adapted from Marian Burros fabulous cook book, Cooking for Comfort (Simon and Schuster, 2003).

See the Mom's Apple Pie - Marian Burros Recipe here!

I keep trying apple cider vinegar from all over, and none can match the wonderful natural sweetness that comes from the Gravenstein Apple that is encapsulated in this vinegar!

Lovely, fragrant, mellow vinegar!
"A really nice, delicately flavored vinegar. I used it to make cole slaw and it added a lovely apple-y note to it (much more subtle and flavorful than other apple cider vinegars). I also found 1 Tbsp in a glass of water very effective for heartburn (after the cole slaw)."
-- Pam

Exceptionally delectable Apple Cider Vinegar!
"Superb product. My third time purchasing, and it is consistently delicious. A balanced vinegar with depth and versatility, it's delectable on its own for those of us looking to the healing properties of ACV, as well as an excellent finishing vinegar."
-- J

Shop now for Katz Gravenstein Apple Cider Vinegar!

Somehow, fresh goat cheese and beets just go so nicely together. Something about the sweetness of the beets, together with the slightly acidic, pithy taste of the goat cheese, creates a perfect flavor balance. Add the slight crunch of the toasted walnuts, and you have a perfect combination. We made the dish as a vegetable side, but you can add a little more dressing and serve it on a bed of greens or butter lettuce, and you have a side salad. Many chefs add chunks of avocado to add a little more antioxidant punch.

See the Beets with Goat Cheese & Walnuts recipe here!

Same as the Hot Yuzu Red Sauce version but with less red chili heat. Instead, the Green is spicier and helps you exfoliate almost immediately. Your mouth tingles, in a good way, and your mouth is jumping.

There is more saltiness and a stronger vinegar effect than the red. This comes through as more pucker and a bit of eye twinging from the salt.

The vinegar does hit the back of the throat with a little punch. Only in the end is there the zest of the yuzu.

I find it spicier and not as hot as the red. This is where your hot taste receptors will need to tell you their own story after tasting these twin sauces.

Shop now for Hot Yuzu Green Sauce!