Red rice yeast

What is red yeast rice?

Red yeast rice (also called red rice koji, Hongqu, anka or ang-kak) is a bright reddish-purple fermented rice, which gets its color by being fermented with the fungus Monascus purpureus.

What is the difference between red rice yeast and koji?

Although it is called a “koji” in Japanese, it is not the koji we know of miso or soy sauce. (Koji actually means no more than “grain or bean overgrown with a mold culture”).

How to use red rice koji

It is used to color a wide range of food products, including pickled tofu, red rice vinegar, char siu, Peking duck, ginger slices for your sushi, Chinese dry sausage and Chinese cakes. It is also traditionally used in the production of various types of Chinese rice wines (Shaoxing jiu) and Japanese sake (akaisake). Although red yeast rice is mainly used for its color, it gives a subtle but pleasant taste to food. You do not eat it like you eat white rice, it would be too bitter.

Red rice yeast produces statins and there is evidence of it’s medical benefits, but Startercultures.eu refrains from any medical advice.

The yeast is not meant to leaven bread.

Content

• 30 grams
• Microorganisms: Monascus purpureus (also known as Monascus albidus, Monascus anka, Monascus araneosus, Monascus major and Monascus rubiginosus)

Online Miso making course

In 25+ bite sized English spoken video lessons you will learn all about making Miso, without the need for special tools, in this online course by the founder of startercultures.eu. You will learn to make traditional, or ANY kind of Miso, save money, by never having to buy Miso again, and incite your culinary creativity!