I remember having a conversation with a mate of mine about koji
And he asked me why I found mould so exciting
He was of the opinion that if it grew in damp attics
Then it had no business being around food and drink
After swallowing the urge to punch the ignorance out of him
I realised that he had a valid point
How do you make mould sound exciting?
Imagine finding a secret ingredient that had existed for centuries
But you were one of only a handful of people who knew what it was
An ingredient so versatile that it changed the profile of anything it was added to
Magic at your fingertips
White, black and yellow gold
The crown jewel in the craftsmanship of nihonshu
The key to unlocking a smooth shochu
The kick that makes a potent awamori
When koji-kin rains
It carries the hopes and dreams of tojis
Breaking their backs for the act of creation
I explained all of this to my mate
And he said I need to get out more
So, we went for Japanese food
And he tried sake for the first time
I’d call that a victory
Yamato Magazine 