The Japanese use a fermented grain called koji to make miso paste or sake. When I first found it offered at my local Japanese food market, bells went off, a voice yelling at me, “go home, make soy, sake or pickled vegetables.” But honestly, it sat in my fridge another two months till I finally got help from Jeremy Umansky, who runs the delicatessen-bakery in Cleveland, Larder. A wizard of sorts with koji, his Instagram posts are a gateway to bright innovations and deliciousness. So far I’ve made Shio koji and amazake rye bread that are based on his formulas, with some of my adaptions. Not just flavor-filled, they umami – or umified!