Friend-a-Versary Karaage, Two Ways!

Hitori “Bocchi” has extreme anxiety and is shy. Her parents worry that she isn’t making friends, so they are excited when Bocchi decides to bring her bandmates over. Bocchi’s dad coins the term “Friend-a-versary” to celebrate and makes a feast for her newfound friends, serving two kinds of karaage: soy sauce and garlic and shio koji. Shio koji is fermented rice. It has a salty and sweet umami taste. You can find it online or in Japanese supermarkets.