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1
Soak the soybeans in water overnight.
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2
Drain off the water the next day, and cook in fresh water slowly for about 4 to 5 hours.
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3
Skim off the scum that comes out of them carefully.
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4
When the soybeans are soft enough that you can crush one between the thumb and forefinger of your opposite hand (your left hand if you're right-handed, and vice versa), put them in a container that you have sterilized with ethanol and mash them.
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5
Reserve about 2 handfuls of the salt.
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6
Mix the remaining and salt and the rice koji together.
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7
(This mixture is called koji cut with salt.)
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8
Mix the soybeans and the salt-koji together well.
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9
Add the cooking liquid from the soy beans until the mixture has a soft doughy texture, about the same as your earlobe feels.
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10
Form the mixture from Step 4 into balls about the size of baseballs.
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11
Spray a plastic storage container with ethanol, and sprinkle the bottom with 1/2 of the salt that was reserved in Step 3.
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12
Press the balls from Step 5 tightly into the container, leaving no gaps.
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13
Cover the top with the remaining salt and spray lightly with ethanol.
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14
Cover with a piece of plastic wrap, spray with more ethanol and put on another layer of plastic wrap.
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15
Wipe off any soy beans that are stuck to the sides of the container, spray with more ethanol and put the lid on.
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16
Wrap in newspaper and leave in a cool dark place.
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17
Open it up in about 5 months to check on it.
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18
Mix it up from the bottom with a clean paddle.
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19
Spray lightly with ethanol and cover with 2 sheets of plastic wrap.
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20
It's ready to eat after about a year.
