This Is The First Line Of Koji Charcuterie — Here's What That Means

Vegan favorite Prime Roots' new lineup jumps on the trend that charcuterie is for EVERYONE. Introducing: Koji Charcuterie, which Prime Roots describes as, "umami-rich hams, turkey, and salami, all of which can be hand-sliced in true deli style." While plant-based proteins aren't new, Prime Roots takes a different approach in the creation process, instead of using "soy, wheat or peas, Prime Roots' meats are made with koji, which can be described as a fungus more similar to huitlacoche. Food Republic describes koji as a fungus that grows off of steamed cooking rice and is highly popular in Japan.

Highlights of the charcuterie selection include a cracked black pepper turkey, a smoky ham, pepperoni, and foie gras, plus the highly popular Koji Bacon. And while this Koji Charcuterie may be vegan, the brand is actually created by eco-conscious meat eaters. According to Prime Roots their koji-based products generate significantly less environmental carbon dioxide, use 92% less water to cultivate than animal meats, and also have a lower land impact than equivalent animal products. 

And let's not forget — this is a vegan product that lets you capitalize on the charcuterie craze with plant-based flavor.

Part of the Koji Meats' appeal is that fact that enjoying these products is all about the umami. Umami is the flavor that can loosely be described as a pleasant savory that doesn't fit our traditional sweet, salty, sour flavor profiles such as meats and mushrooms. Many alternative meat sellers have previously excelled at creating a healthy protein, but failed on taste or texture. 

The flavor-packed punch of umami that Koji is known for has vegan fans raving, such as one Instagram poster who shares, "...I just cooked up (and woofed down) my first BLT in 20 years. Much gratitude to the team at @primeroots for innovating a new form of 'meat' with Koji that's not only tasty but nutritious." The fan goes on to note that while they've tried many other brands, this "facon" excelled by getting crispy when cooked and that of their former favorites"... they've been dethroned by this for sure."

Koji Charcuterie does not yet have a set distribution, but bacon sales were previously very high and on a significant wait list. Signing up for the newsletter or following the brand on social media will likely let you get first notice when products become available.