Aspergillus oryzae

Aspergillus oryzae

Aspergillus oryzae (/æspərˈdʒɪləs ɔːˈraɪzi/), also known as koji (Japanese: 麹), is a filamentous fungus, or mold, that is used in East Asian cuisine to ferment soybeans for making soy sauce and miso, and also to saccharify rice, barley, and other grains in the making of sake and other fermented beverages.

Etymology

The name "Aspergillus" comes from the Latin word for "aspergillum" (a device used for sprinkling holy water), due to the similar appearance of the fungus's conidiophore to the aspergillum. The species name "oryzae" is derived from "oryza", the genus of plants that includes rice, in reference to the fungus's common use in the fermentation of rice.

Uses

Aspergillus oryzae is used in the production of a number of fermented foods and beverages. In Japan, it is used to make miso and soy sauce, as well as sake and other traditional beverages. It is also used in the production of shochu, a Japanese distilled beverage, and amazake, a sweet, non-alcoholic rice drink.

Related Terms

• Fermentation (food)
• Mold
• Soy sauce
• Miso
• Sake
• Shochu
• Amazake

See Also

• Aspergillus
• Fermentation in food processing
• Japanese cuisine

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Aspergillus oryzae
• Wikipedia's article - Aspergillus oryzae

This WikiMD article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.

---

Languages: - East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski