calamansi + lemongrass kosho
Kenji Morimoto is a London-based Japanese American food writer and content creator who specializes in fermentation. He draws from his cultural heritage to teach, write, and share culinary knowledge through various platforms, including his popular Instagram @kenjcooks and his upcoming book "Ferment."
Kenji Morimoto
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December 29, 2025
My go-to recipe for a kosho is roughly equal parts chilli to citrus zest and between 10-15% salt of the total weight of those two main ingredients. Yuzu kosho is perhaps the most well known of the kosho but yuzu is fairly hard to find (and expensive!). So, as always, use what you have and what you can find!
Note that this is salty but mellows with time - all of the core ingredients can be changed based on your preferences and what you have available.
Use this as a condiment, chilli paste for teh base of a curry or stir fry, as a marinade. Or maybe even in a cheeky margarita. Lots of ideas.
Items and equipment
Ingredients (4)
Ingredients (4)
Instructions
Put all ingredients into a blender and blitz to a paste-like consistency. You can use a mortar and pestle - I tend to go for a coarser consistency as you can always puree it further! If using quartered calamansi, you may want to add a small amount of water to loosen the mixture as it blitzes.
Decant into a jar, cover with cling film or parchment paper (to minimise oxygen exposure), and ferment at room temperature for 2-3 weeks. Move to the fridge after the initial period where it will continue to ferment. You can leave it at room temperature longer but keep an eye on it (and give it the occasional mix) to ensure there is no yeast or mould growth.
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