Kojiya Sanzaemon (Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture, Representative Director: Yuichiro Murai), a long-established seed koji maker with over 600 years of history, will hold "KOJI THE KITCHEN in Barcelona, SPAIN" on May 19, 2025, in Barcelona, Spain. This event, realized with the cooperation of Gastrocultura Mediterránea SL (GCM), which conducts research and education on 21st-century gastronomy from a technical and scientific perspective based in Barcelona, is the first full-fledged "koji" themed program in Europe. It aims to bring together professional chefs, including Michelin-starred chefs, and gourmets to create new trends in the European culinary world.
Spanish culinary professionals to participate and learn Japanese koji techniques.
With the cooperation of Gastrocultura Mediterránea SL (GCM), leading culinary professionals, including famous Michelin-starred chefs, are scheduled to participate in this event. Hofmann Culinary School, the venue for the event, is renowned as one of the world's leading culinary schools, having produced numerous famous chefs and operating a Michelin one-star restaurant.
The program will explain everything from basic koji handling to advanced application techniques for professionals, and will include sessions to address actual challenges and questions faced by professionals. By acquiring koji techniques, participants will deepen their understanding of Japanese cuisine and fermented foods, as well as their cultural value, with the aim of creating a new koji culture together with top Spanish chefs.
What is KOJI THE KITCHEN?
KOJI THE KITCHEN is a project launched by our company in October 2021, which explores the new appeal and possibilities of koji through collaboration with different industries and fields, with koji at its core. In recent years, koji has attracted attention as an ingredient that creates next-generation food in the fields of food tech and gastronomy, and its recognition overseas has steadily increased, as it has been refined into new cooking techniques in restaurants. This project is a culinary culture creation and exploration project that seeks the possibilities of koji by combining it with technologies from other fields.
Collaboration with European food culture through "koji"
Koji, a traditional Japanese fermented ingredient, has the potential to create new culinary genres and menu developments through its integration with European culinary culture. This event will feature a collaboration with Chef Eiko Takahashi, a koji cuisine professional based in Barcelona, who will provide participants with new discoveries and taste experiences through tastings of dishes incorporating fresh Spanish ingredients and koji. By creating a space where European culinary circles and Japanese traditions intersect, innovative culinary ideas are expected to emerge.
Overseas expansion of a long-established seed koji manufacturer
Kojiya Sanzaemon Co., Ltd. is a long-established Japanese seed koji manufacturer with a history of over 600 years. Seed koji is a commercialized form of koji mold used as a raw material for koji, and many Japanese brewing manufacturers use seed koji to produce koji. We currently supply seed koji to over 3,000 brewing manufacturers.
According to our research, this is the first initiative for a Japanese seed koji manufacturer, a professional in koji mold, to conduct a koji seminar overseas. Japanese koji mold will carve a new history in the gastronomy culture of Spain, and by extension, the world.
Furthermore, this event aims to facilitate a full-scale expansion into the European market. As a fermented product within GCM's food line Toufood (awarded the SIRLA Innovation Award in Lyon 2025), we plan to further promote it in Spain, France, and Germany. While cherishing the koji culture and technology we have cultivated, we will actively incorporate innovative technologies and diverse food cultures that adapt to the times, aiming for further expansion into the global market.
■Event Overview
Date and Time: May 19, 2025 (Monday) 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Venue: Escuela de Hostelería Hofmann (C/ Argenteria, 74, 08003 Barcelona)
Participation Fee: 157.30 Euros (tax included)
Language: English (with Spanish interpretation)
Application Page: Töufood Official Website
■Lecturer Introduction
Yuichiro Murai (29th Head of Kojiya Sanzaemon)
After graduating from Keio University, he obtained an MBA in Global Management in Arizona, USA. After gaining field experience in the family business, he became the head in 2016. Aiming to create a new fermentation culture, he is engaged in new businesses that expand the seed koji market. As the CEO of a seed koji manufacturer, he gives lectures both domestically and internationally to introduce koji. In 2022, he obtained a Master of Arts degree from Kyoto University of the Arts. He currently lectures at the same university and in 2024, published his first book, "Hatsukou as General Knowledge for Business Elites" (Asa Publishing).
Eiko Takahashi
(Koji/Fermentation Chef / Japanese and Asian Cuisine Consultant)
Ten years ago, she introduced miso making to a Michelin-starred restaurant in Shanghai, and since then, she has been continuously proposing koji fermentation and traditional Japanese food culture to the world of gastronomy. Based in Barcelona, Spain, she currently collaborates with Gastrocultura Mediterranea to promote koji fermentation, provide technical expertise, and conduct educational activities. She holds professional koji workshops throughout Europe, with many Michelin chefs having participated. She also consults with restaurants on koji implementation, bridging Japanese fermentation culture with modern culinary practices. Her activities are primarily based in Barcelona, extending across Spain, Germany, and the entire European region.
■Company Introduction
Gastrocultura Mediterránea SL (Toufood)
（https://gastroculturamediterranea.com/en/）
Gastrocultura Mediterránea SL (GCM) is a Barcelona-based company specializing in the research and education of 21st-century gastronomy from a technical and scientific perspective. It provides comprehensive support to professional chefs and food-related businesses to meet the demands of modern cuisine and diverse consumer needs. GCM excels in planning and developing innovative culinary and gastronomic solutions, and offers a wide range of services including scientific training and consulting for health and gastronomy professionals, provision of textured and freeze-dried products, and sales of state-of-the-art kitchen equipment and tools.
Kojiya Sanzaemon Co., Ltd. (https://kojiyasanzaemon.store/)
A seed koji manufacturer founded in the Muromachi period. Since its establishment, it has supplied seed koji (koji mold), the base for koji production, to over 3,000 brewing manufacturers. Currently, to pass on Japan's unique "koji culture" to future generations, the company has adopted design management and is engaged in new projects such as "KOJI THE KITCHEN," which aims to utilize koji in the kitchen. KOJI THE KITCHEN, launched in 2021, regularly hosts events to learn about koji and experience its deliciousness. In addition to seed koji, the company also manufactures and sells D2C products such as its amazake brand, orise, and other koji products to deliver the deliciousness of koji to customers.