Shio-Koji-Marinated Tofu

shio koji marinated tofu

You might be surprised to hear this, but yes—you can marinate tofu in shio koji! The result is something wonderfully creamy, savory, and completely unique—kind of like cheese, but not quite. It’s simple to prepare, packed with umami, and a fun way to experience tofu in a whole new light.

Your shio koji is ready when it's liquidy like a paste

I love making this as a little snack to enjoy with a drink, or even using it as a base to make a surprisingly delicious ice cream.

Shio-Koji-Marinated Tofu

Shio-Koji-Marinated Tofu served on a plate with olive oil
Shio-koji-marinated tofu is a creamy, umami-rich snack that’s perfect with drinks or as a unique ingredient for dishes like ice cream—kind of like cheese, but one of a kind.
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Sakura Yubi
Prep Time 10 minutes
Marinating Time 2 days
Total Time 2 days 10 minutes
Cuisine Japanese
Course Side Dish
Servings 2 serving

Ingredients

  • 300 g (1.2 cups) tofu (Use any type (smooth, firm, etc.) you like. )
  • 2 tbs (2 tbs) shio koji
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 pinch ground black pepper
  • 0.5 tbsp pink peppercorns

directions
 

  • Open up the tofu packages and discard all the water inside.
    Open up the tofu packages
  • Transfer the tofu into a sealable plastic bag. Tofu is extremely soft and delicate, so do the best you can to keep its shape when you do this.
    Transfer the tofu into a sealable plastic bag
  • Gently smear shio koji on one side.
    Flip over the bag, and do the same thing on the other side.
    Gently smear shio koji on one side
  • Pull out air from the bag as much as you can, and seal up the bag.
    seal up the bag
  • Give it a gentle massage…
    Give it a gentle massage
  • Then transfer it to the fridge.
    transfer it to the fridge
  • Let it rest in the fridge for at least two days. You can keep it in the fridge for up to a week.
    This one has been in the fridge for a couple of days. Do you see all that water has come out? It means shio koji has worked its magic on the tofu and it's ready to eat.
    Let it rest in the fridge for at least two days
  • Slice them up and plate them.
    They are soooo soft, and it's really easy to mess them up, but that's okay. The flavor is what matters, and trust me, the flavor is there.
    Slice them up and plate them
  • Season it with some olive oil, ground black pepper, and pink peppercorns, or however you prefer.
    There is already saltiness in the tofu because of shio koji, so you don't need to add any salt to this.
    And there you have it. Tofu marinated in shio koji. Enjoy!
    Season it with some olive oil, ground black pepper, and pink peppercorns

Recipe Notes

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 264.4kcalCarbohydrates: 6.6gProtein: 13.6gFat: 20.7gSaturated Fat: 2.7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gSodium: 281.8mgPotassium: 0.8mgFiber: 1.2gSugar: 0.5gVitamin A: 0.3IUCalcium: 187.9mgIron: 1.9mg
Keyword fermentation, koji salt, marinate, salt koji, shio koji, tofu
Shio-Koji-Marinated Tofu served on a plate with olive oil

2 thoughts on “Shio-Koji-Marinated Tofu”

  1. Hi Sakura – do you eat this as is, no cooking? I make my own Koji rice plus Amazake and Shio koi so am interested to try this!

    1. Hi, Heidi! Yes it’s best if you eat it as it is. You can cook it too, but then you would kill off the microbes in shio koji, so I prefer eating it without cooking. I like eating it as a snack to go with alcoholic beverages. I also like to use it to make tofu-yogurt ice cream!

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