Blog - English, online workshops, Upcoming Workshop, 日本語ブログ

Rice Koji Making Class in Japanese is tomorrow. English version will start on Aug 01

(日本語はこの後にあります)
It’s summertime!

Do you know that it is quite easy to make Koji this season because the temperature is pretty high already?

As you know, mould likes warm and humid places. Once you know how to provide the environment that koji loves, they grow very easily.

It will be easy and fun to make koji, lots of studies about koji itself, how to apply koji into your food life, and the history of Japan-related with Koji.

steamed rice

You don’t know anything about koji yet? Don’t worry.
I will explain everything that you need to know, and you will be able to make many koji products by yourself by the end of the workshop. Also, you will discover how deep the koji world is.

We will have Koji making class in Japanese tomorrow, and the English version is going to start on Aug 01.

明日は7月の麹の学校カナダを開催します。
夏の製麹は、何かと楽。既に温度が高いからね。
麹の好きな環境さえ整えて置けば、後は勝手に育ってくれます。

製麹のクラス、とっても楽しいですよ。
作るのは意外にも簡単で、そしてレクチャーでは沢山のお勉強もします。

麹そのものについて、
出来た麹で色んな麹製品を作ってみよう、
そして、ちょっと深堀りしようもんなら。。。
深ーい深ーい世界を垣間見てください。

日本語のクラスは明日の26日午後9時~。
英語のクラスは、8月1日より開始します。


「麹を作るクラス」は、この後ちょっとお休みして、
9月からは月一ペースで「麹を作った麹製品のクラス」(味噌とか味醂とか)を開催する事になると思います。

これからの活動をさらに広げていくために、無理なく進めていく!
形を変え試行錯誤しながら、もっと良いものを提供していけるように活動します。

来年1月からは、改めて年間プログラムをスタートさせようかなぁと、考え中です。1年間の間に、味噌も味醂も醤油もどぶろくも、色んな穀物で製麹も全部やっちゃお!というプログラムです。

今のアドバンスクラスは今後2年目以降のプログラムとなります。
もうすでに色々Koji Flowerの講習会をとって来た方でアドバンスに入りたい方、今なら横入れしますよ~。

今のアドバンスのメンバーとの活動が活発で楽しく、さあ次はどんな楽しい事をしようかな?とわくわくです。

そういえば、先日「もうアドバンスの方のレベルが高いから自分なんて全然ついていけないだろう」と言っている方がいらっしゃいました。
全く持ってそんなことはございません!
Read Onlyで自分の時間のある時に挑戦しひっそり楽しむことが出来るのも、アドバンスの利点です。

どんな方にも学ぶ機会を与えたい、
そんな思いで開催しています。

いつか皆さんと、ご一緒できますように。

Blog - English, online workshops, Upcoming Workshop, 日本語ブログ

What would you like to make with koji?

(Japanese version is below)

What would you like to make with koji?
Salted koji, soysauce koji, Tomato koji, Onion koji.

All of them are simple to make. Just add koji and ingredients in a jar.
There are lots of condiments made by koji that we can make so easily. 

Once you get used to using koji, lets’s try to make miso.

Sounds difficult?

No no,

Just mix boiled soybeans, koji and salt in a jar and wait for a couple of months.
You will be very surprised when you try your miso soup!

You may think that making Sake (doburoku) will be harder, but actually, it’s much easier! It will start bubbling soon when you add rice, koji, and a little bit of magical ingredients.

Making Amazake is another easy one. Add rice and koji in a rice cooker and wait for 6 to 10 hours. that’s it!

In the near future, you will be able to make your own Soy sauce, Mirin, and even vinegar.

If you want to make them all, you will naturally start making koji itself.

You  should be surrounded by foods and condiments that you can prepare them by yourself… very easily. 

I will teach you all of the tips.

Nowadays, it doesn’t matter where you live, whether or not you have kids or too busy with work. You can challenge easily whenever through an online class 

I look forward to seeing you all at the Koji Flower online class.


++++++++

麹を使って何を作ってみたい?

塩麹、醤油麹、トマト麹、玉ねぎ麹。
どれもこれも、麹を瓶に入れて混ぜるだけで出来るお気軽な奴。
麹を使って簡単に出来る調味料は、たくさんあります。

麹を使う事に慣れてきたら、今度は味噌に挑戦。
難しそう?


いやいや
大豆と麹、お塩を混ぜて、容器にいれて待つこと数か月。
びっくりするほど美味しい味噌汁が出来上がるよ

もっと難しいと思われるかもだけど、かなり簡単にできるのが、お酒。
ごはんと麹、それに魔法の粉を入れたら、どんどんぶくぶくしてくるよ!

甘酒も簡単。炊飯器にごはんと麹を入れて、6時間~10時間位待てば出来上がり。


そのうちお醤油も味醂も、お酢だって簡単に自分で作れるようになる。

どれもこれも作りたいなら、麹そのものを作らなくちゃね。


あなたの使う調味料/食べ物は、簡単に自分で用意出来るべきものである。
そのコツを、教えてます。


今は住んでる場所を考えずに、
子供がいるとか仕事とかにとらわれずに、
オンラインクラスにて自分の好きな時に挑戦できる自由な時代。

私も自由に教えてみます。

是非、オンラインクラスにてお待ちしています。

7月の米麹のクラス(日本語)は今週日曜日です。既に参加ご希望の方が予習の期間に入っています。お早めにご参加表明ください。
https://kojiflower.eeeagency.com/kojischoolcanadajp/

全てのご連絡はしおりまで:kojiflowershiori@gmail.com


Blog - English, online workshops, Upcoming Workshop, 日本語ブログ

Camping to Tobermory

(日本語ブログは英語の下にあります)

I had a vacation this week and went camping with my 2 boys.
It was the first time for me to go camping without any plan at all!
I have a place that I want to go, and I heard from the campsite that there was enough space during the days I’ve planned.

so, here we go. We just grab some food and stuff and off to Tobermory.

Lake Huron was extremely beautiful….water was really, really clear as we can see the bottom of the lake, and the view was all amazing..!

Camping with many people is always fun, but it was so precious time for us to enjoy nature as much as we want without any restrictions of “following the plans”

I had 2 more extra days off to stay home to spend the entire time with my kids, but one needs to take a summer course, or had a part-time job, and others started his own project, I can’t stop myself to work over PC.

Better not to stay home…I will try my best to plan again to go camping again this summer!
ONE MORE THING…KIDS NEED TO GO OUTSIDE AS THEY STAY AT HOME TOO LONG due to COVID-19.
You know, summer in Toronto will end very soon…

Since my vacation is over, I will seriously work with the class starting in Aug, How to make Rice koji. If you would like to join the class, please let me know to kojiflowershiori@gmail.com

There are some Japanese classes is going, but I will create more classes in English in September.

今週はお休みをいただいて、キャンプに行ってきました。

こんな旅行初めてでした。
前日の夜まで「いついこうか~」とのんびり構え、

当日「やっぱり今日から行こう!」と決意して、用意をして直ぐに出発。

息子2人連れ出して、気まぐれキャンプでした。



もう、大きくなってきつつある息子達、なるべく彼らが自分たちで決めた事を優先し、それで失敗しても自ら立ち直れるようにと、あまり手を出さないように極力気を付けてはいるのですが、


それでも、やはりこのコロナの影響でどうしても家に籠りがち。

次男に関してはやりたいことが見つかったのはいいが、永遠に部屋に籠って作業をしているので、

やっぱり親の権限を持ち出して半ば無理やりに連れ出す事って大事だなぁって思いました。


とはいえ、そこまで無理やりでもないからこうやって連れていけたのですが。


今回、私も他の人に気を使ったり誰かと合わせる事により計画的に動く事を辞めようと、息子2人と3人だけで行ったのですが、



これが大当たり。


トレッキングで森の中に入っている時に、「わぁっつ!」と思う場所に立ち止まり、思う存分その雰囲気を楽しむことが出来たり、

食べたい時に食べたい量だけご飯を作ったり(人と行くとどうしても品数増やさないととか、良さげな物を作って持っていかないととか考える所なのだが)


誰かと一緒に行くと、どうしても次の予定、次の予定、皆が待っているからと同じトレッキングでもただ通り過ぎていたなぁって。
必要以上にごはんも作っていたなぁって。

誰かと行くキャンプも大好きですが、

今はちょっとコロナの影響か?!

こういう時間がとっても、とっても貴重でした。



キャンプから戻って2日ほど開けてあり、その間も息子達と遊ぶぞ!と決意していたのですが。。。

戻った次の日から息子たちはサマーキャンプ、バイト、新しいプロジェクトへと直ぐに戻っていき、思わず「息子たちがいないこの時間に。。」と、PCに向かってしまう私。


ええ、後1回か2回、この夏きまぐれキャンプに行ってやる!と、決意した次第でございます。

それにしても、ヒューロン湖、水がめちゃくちゃ綺麗で心底感動しました。
ああ、もうオンタリオ湖沿いの旅行には行けないかも。。

+++++++

お休み明けのこの週末から、しっかり仕事に戻ってきました。
7月下旬は、麹の学校カナダ開催します。

自分なりに告知しているつもりだったのですが、知らない人が結構いらっしゃって反省。告知は大事ですよね。これから頑張ります。

7月、8月は、アドバンスメンバーがグループ内で、自分たちの調べたトピックに関するプレゼンテーションを開催しています。

その中でも、8月8日には、かんたんどぶろくの会がゆみさん、かなよさんコンビで一般向けにもオープンする形で開催されます。

お得なお値段でどぶろくを体験できるこのチャンスをお見逃しなく。
わたくししおりも参加して、横から茶々を入れる予定です(笑)

その他、8月は週いちでアドバンスメンバーのプレゼンが入る予定です。
アドバンスメンバーの7月、8月は、これから毎年自分の研究発表をする、プレゼンの月となるでしょう。


8月も後半に入って涼しくなってきたら、醤油用麹を作る会を開催します。
レクチャー予定は、8月27日、トロント時間の午後9時~。
いつものように、レクチャー翌日から一緒に作っていきます。

9月に入ったら、お醤油仕込みたい方を一般公募したいと思います。
アドバンスメンバーが作った醤油用麹を、お手軽な値段で手に入れられるような機会を、作っていきたいと思います。

文字でざっと書き出しましたが、また、追って少しづつアップデートしていきますね~!

良い日曜日を。

Blog - English, online workshops, Upcoming Workshop

Online Rice Koji Making Class in Aug 2020

In this intensive 4 weeks Koji Making Class, you will learn:

-All about what you need to prepare to make Rice Koji
-All about how to make Rice Koji
-Basic knowlege of Koji, aspergillus oryzae
-Idea of how to use Rice Koji
-Koji and Japan, lifestyle, including history

There will be 4 lectures with Zoom, once a week.
In addition, handouts will be provided for your convenience to keep with you.

During the 4 weeks, you will have a chance to make Koji a couple of times(it up to you. You will also be asked to submit a report.
Since we’ll be connected via SNS( or chat) you can ask me question anytime when you need a help.

Online Rice Koji Making Class in Aug 2020

Starting Date:  Aug 01, 2020
(open the class, start communicating)

1st  Zoom lecture:  Aug  08, 2020 
2nd Zoom lecture:  Aug 15, 2020 
3rd  Zoom lecture:  Aug 22, 2020
4th  Zoom lecture:  Aug 29, 2020

Fees: CND$160.00

Please contact Shiori: kojiflowershiori@gmail.com


Q and A:

Q1:   Before deciding to take the class, I would like to know what exactly I’ll need to make Rice Koji.

Answer:  You will need to buy tanekoji(koji spore) from somewhere. If you can’t buy at your local area, you can order and have it shipped from me or from Japan(depends on where you live) I will give you full instructions once you register to the class
-the following are miminum equipment you need to make koji: rice, steamer, stainless steel trays, warming equipment, and cotton/linen white cloth.
Again, there are a lot to talk about, so let’s continue in the class.

Q2:   What happens if I miss a Zoom lecture?

A:   Don’t worry, all lecture is going to be recorded and you can access anytime you want later.
Also , handouts are always accessible.

Q3:  Can I attend the class from outside of Canada?

A:  Of course you can.  This is online class and you can take anywhere you live.
Also, I will try my best to help you find a better condition to make Koji that is suitable for your country.

Q4: What are the options of payments?

A:  You can pay by credit card, PayPal, or even e-transfer (if you live in Canada)

Blog - English, Upcoming Workshop, 未分類

Let’s make Miso together!

New!!! Online Making Miso Class At your kitchen

Finally, I am going to open an online class on how to make Miso!
This class will going to run on Facebook. However, I would like to also try to accept people who doesn’t have Facebook. And so, please let me know who doesn’t own an account.

Here are 4 benefits of taking this class: 

1. Facebook group page – You can find all of the instructions that you will need on the Facebook’s group page. It will have lectures regarding, how to make Miso, the history, the kind, and couple ideas on how to use Miso.

  You can use this page as your textbook.

2. Creating a report to make miso – (Instruction on “how to create your report” will be provided)
I will follow up on your report to make sure that you are on the right track to make Miso.  

3. Always connected with an Instructor – you can ask questions anytime!
We will make Miso together, on the same day. Also, I will be there to support you make Miso.

4. You will be permitted to have access to the group page until June 31, 2020 – I will support you until your miso is done.

If you would like to start something new,
If you have been thinking to try koji fermentation,
If you are looking for a more efficient way to spend your quarantine,

This class is for you!
Let’s also have your kids to help making Miso!


To register, please email me(Shiori): kojiflowershiori@gmail.com

Group page opens on: May 18, 2020 
Make Miso on: May 23, 2020
Checking of Miso after one month: June 23, 2020
Fee: $60

Here’s what you’ll need to make Miso:
– Soybeans
– Rice koji
– salt

I hope you’ll be able to find these ingredients easily.
If you live in Toronto or close to Toronto, I may be able to deliver soybeans and Rice koji that I made.

Even if you live far from Toronto, I will help you to get koji and soybeans as much as possible.

I look forward to seeing you all!


Shiori Kajiwara
Certified Koji Specialist
Acupuncturist

Email: kojiflowershiori@gmail.com
http://kojiflower.eeeagency.com/
http://centreforjapaneseacupuncture.ca/
https://www.facebook.com/kojiflower/
https://www.instagram.com/kojiflowershiori/

Blog - English, online workshops, Upcoming Workshop, 未分類

Free Online Doburoku (Sake) Making Class

Hello!
It’s Shiori, a fermentation master 🙂

First of all, I’d like to check in with everyone and hope you all are
staying at home safe and doing well while COVID-18 has made our
lives a 180 degree turn.

For me, I am inspired that many people are working hard to help others
and I wanted to be one of them.
So I have deduced to offer this.

Let’s do a Free Online Doburoku(sake) Making Class!
(Note; Doburoku is a probiotic homebrew alcoholic drink)

In fact, I have already created a Facebook group called “Koji no hana
Canada” for Japanese people.
Since the lock down, I am thinking of everyone how they are coping
with this and I assume many of us are starting to feel the effects of
lockdown both physically and mentally.


How are you eating?
How is your sleep?
Are you waking up refreshed in the morning?
And, are you cooking?
Feeling a bit moody and irritable for no reasons?
Or your anxiety is spiking up randomly?

So let’s do something together and counteract the negative impacts of
our new norm.


Staying home too long.
Too much time to kill.
Sitting too much and watching TV or playing with your phone computer too long.

Your body won’t probably like that…

My hope with this class is to help purge that frustration and bring some fun and ease.

It is free, so why not give it a try!
Let’s have fun together 🙂

This is how we do it.

I’ll create a dedicated Facebook group for this group.

Kick start is on April 6th
(Actually, It changed the date to April 13)

From there, I’ll give you a list of what you’d need to make doburoku, and start sharing the steps.

You’ll prepare what you need based on the instructions.
Don’t worry, everything is quite simple and easy!
Of course I’ll be there to assist you for any questions you may have.


The actual prep is on April 9th.
(It changed to April 16th. Sorry for confusion!)
You will prepare your doburoku in your own kitchen.
If you want to know a little more, it’ll look like this.

Doburoku making is fun all the way.
If you have child(ren), get them involved!New
lives emerge from the stuff that looks just like a bed of rice.

From there they will have fermentation parties and will keep growing with bobbles!
You can do taste checks from day to day.

If it the taste becomes palatable, then that’s it. It’s done.

You can filter the doburoku for more sharp taste if you wish. The pulp called “sakekasu” is flavourful and has so many use.

You can’t have alcohol?  Don’t worry, you warm it up then it will be a savory drink

You’ll learn how and why alcohol has been used as medicine.
And doburoku can use it in your cooking as a versatile seasoning too.

If you are thinking if it tastes exactly like sake you have tasted from Japanese restaurant… It isn’t.

This is an easy-to-make home alcholic drink.

Taste wise it is full body yet very simple and super nourishing.
Anyways, this is a super versatile cooking item that is ALIVE.

Alive means, it changes quickly.

If you passed the golden window of “yummy drink”, that’s ok, you can keep it in the fridge and use it for cooking.

This is for fun, don’t even go to the idea of perfecting it.

Of course you can do that, but you’ll be then in a rabbit hole!
Welcome to the club 🙂

But in this class, let’s not go there and simply enjoy the creation that is unique to you.

Lastly.

Why fermented food?
Let me geek about this a bit… The fermentation with bacteria produce vitamins and minerals, which is so beneficial for us. Fermentation does the magic and make the food turn into a super healthy body friendly food.

During the process of fermentation, all the microbiomes and micronutrients dance harmoniously and produce nutrients while keeping the taste of it amazing.

Good flora helps regulate our bowel movements and cleans it up. This will make other organs happy. Everything is connected.

As you might have heard that, gut is our second brain.
While supplements are helpful, but how much are we actually absorbing?!

Eating fermented foods will nourish your intestines and help better absorption which then support our immunity.

Let’s work our gut flora a happier one.

But let’s not label “bad” flora as “bad”. They are doing their job and we still need them. Let’s not beat them or try to get rid of them.

What’s important here is BALANCE.

Let’s work on creating a harmonious balance in our gut flora.

All we do is to give a bit of support to the “good” flora, and somewhat neutral ones (they are called “opportunistic”) will take care of the rest.

Working on our gut, is to work on our immunity.

Did you see it now?

Taking charge of our own body.
Knowing our own body.
Only then, you’ll know what you should do to help it.

It is my belief that, this is most important than going micro and just looking at nutrients what’s good and what’s not.

Know your body.
Earn the self-care skills and knowledge.
And help your loved ones with it.

Watever the message I put out with fermentation or, acupuncture, I come back to this; Stimulate our five senses.

Hear it pop.
Taste it change.
See it bubble.
Smell it daily
Touch/examine the texture.

You’ll be glued to doburoku.
So healing.


Hope you join us and discover this super healthy fermented drink. Looking forward to having fun with you there!

Shiori Kajiwara

Additional Info!
Here is the link of English version of free doburoku class facebook group page!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/freeonlinedoburokuws/



Huge thanks to my friend, Akari Yokokawa who translated this for me 🙂

Akari Yokokawa

Akari is a health geek Registered Acupuncturist and Chinese Herbalist Medicine Practitioner (R.TCMP) in Ontario.
Akari loves food, and she believes we are WHAT we eat, and we are HOW we eat.
Facebook @AkariYokokawaTo
Instagram @AkariYokokawaTo

Blog - English, Upcoming Workshop

Free Online Doburoku (Sake) Making Class is coming!

For those of you who are waiting for this class to open, Thank you so much for your interest.

Let me tell you what’s going on.

I’m running soy sauce making class now, also there are couple of people who want to learn deeply about koji, using this quarantine time.
They wants to take almost all of the classes within this month..!!
Those of people were usually hard to participate in the class due to busy job, and this quarantine time makes them to seriously face to koji. I’m pretty happy to help them.

If you say ‘OH yes, I wanna do it too!’,
please let me know 🙂




Anyway, for Free doburoku online workshop, I guess it’s a bit short notice to start next week, so I decided to postpone the starting date to April 13, 2020.

However, since there are many people who are interested in participate this workshop, I’m trying to spread the people who speak Japanese and English.

As you notice, I’m not good at English…! It’s much easier for me to write in Japanese, so please excuse me to start the class earlier in Japanese.

Yes, I’m gonna run 2 classes this month.
Starting in April 6, 2020 in Japanese, and
starting in April 13, 2020 in English.

If you can read Japanese, or if you still want to join now(using ‘translate’ function?), please feel free to access to this Facebook group page:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/doburokufreeonline/
BUT IT WILL RUN IN JAPANESE ONLY….JUST FOR NOW.

I am going to make another new group page of free doburoku class in English next week.

Please contact: kojiflowershiori@gmail.com

Have a nice day!

Shiori

PS Here is the link of English version of facebook free doburoku class group page!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/freeonlinedoburokuws/

Blog - English, Upcoming Workshop, 未分類

Soy Sauce Making Class at your kitchen

I’m finally ready to start making soysauce class in this spring 2020!

This spring in 2020 is going to be unforgettable in our life.
COVID-19 had a huge impact to our life. It changes our everyday life a lot.

I was thinking of something that I could do to use this important period of time.
Something for everyone. Something to help people.
To connect to the future.

My thoughts made me to decide to do soy sauce making class online.

Soy sauce Making Class at your kitchen

Especially during this time, I arranged this class for people who can not go out.
I will be able to deliver Soy sauce koji and anything the participants need to prepare, so that they can work on their own soy sauce at their own kitchen.

What? Am I going to prepare by myself??

Don’t worry, You’ll be fine.

The only required step is: Place soy sauce koji in a jar containing salt and water.
That’s all. Maybe it takes about 5 min to finish?

I will give you full instructions.

After the preparation, simply take care of it by yourselves for a year.

And, That’s it!!

Soy sauce Koji


WHAT? Am I going to take care of by myself? for a year???


Don’t worry.
That’s why we will get together as a group at a group page on Facebook. I will give instructions when the time comes. You also have a chance to see how eveyone else’s soysauce is doing. You can ask me a question anytime when you need.


I will be with you for a year. Through all four seasons.
You will need to especially be careful during the spring as the soy souce’s fermentation will not be stable yet.
I will also give you some lectures on soy sauce little by little.

When the hot season arrives, the fermentation becomes more active.
The jar will be full of microbes, enzymes, and all of the other invisible little guys so busy, doing their job inside the small space.


The Fall season is slowing down time.
In the winter, you’ll be really excited to try the soy sauce because it looks like it’s already done.
But, No! you will need more patient and wait until next spring!

This one is just one month fermentation…!

Finally, next spring in 2021, you are going to squeeze the soy sauce out.
I will let you know how when the time comes.
Also I will give you some tips on how to use your freshly squeezed soy sauce.

I am also planning to get together and tasting everyone else’s soy sauce sometimes in April. It will be interesting to see how each person’s soy sauce will have a different taste although they were all made exactly same way.
Let’s do Pot luck party with soy sauce!

And at that time we will think, that the spring 2020 was pretty hard, but it will only be a memory in the past and we’ll happily celebrate our harvest.

At the same time, you will have a chance to buy new soy sauce koji to prepare making soy sauce for 2021-2022 !

Hopefully, I will do this event every year like a yearly job.
To make soy sauce preparation is like a yearly job, to be part of our life.

In advanced level, you will have the option to try 2 years and 3 years old soy sauce.
so much more to have fun !

We’ll make our food ourselves. We’ll take care of ourselves by ourselves.

Would you like to join the project?

Fee: $60
(Including: 580g of soysauce koji to make about 1.5L of Soysauce moromi. If you would like to make more, you can order extra soy sauce koji)
What you need: facebook account, to join facebook group page.

Please contact: kojiflowershiori@gmail.com

Blog - English

Online course is coming…?

Things getteing harder these days…. Our life has been changed a lot.

To take this chance make it positive, I’ve been doing so many things that I’ve postponed, tried to ignore to face to it.

At the same time, Idea of doing onlinne courses is always stuck in my mind, thinking what is first priority for me to do at this moment.



I don’ t want to force myself to do online course, but I’m sure there are so many people who may be interested to take this chance to learn about koji, fermented food, healthier food habitual.

So, here is just some idea throwing out to the world.

General online Koji class – beginners
General online Koji class – intermediate

How to make Miso class – online
How to make doburoku(sake) class – online

How to make koji class (製麹(seikiku), making koji itself) – online


See? I still try to ignore what I suppose to face to it, and starting to do something different, something new…!



However, I know if this is not what I suppose to do now, this idea will dissapear or something will happen to stop me.



So, let me try!

Will update soon….