Just over 10 years ago, we put coffee beans in soy sauce and let them infuse for a few days. The soy sauce gained the depth and flavor of the coffee. We had a delicious product. Ten years later we blended rice inoculated with Aspergilillus Oryzae with water, salt and ground coffee beans. We let the mixture ferment in the workshop for several weeks. Then we tucked it away in the back of the refrigerator. Today we spun the mixture in the centrifuge. The spinning separated the liquids and the solids. The solids are a coarse rough miso-like product. The liquid is coffee soy sauce. The flavor is intense. The salinity is pronounced. The flavor is rounded and rich.
Did 10 years teach us anything? Absolutely. Both products have potential. Overall, bringing together great coffee and great soy sauce results in superior in flavor and makes the time commitment worthwhile. But, if we had used soy sauce in place of water when making our second rendition, there might have been an amplification of flavors. And that is why a third try is certainly worth exploring.
Years Past
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
