Koji Sources
Koji
To convert sake rice into sugar that can be fermented, koji-kin is delicately distributed over steamed sake rice in a very hot, humid room. Over a period of 48 to 72 hours, the mold is carefully cultivated to grow evenly onto the sake rice. When the “moldy rice” is ready to be incorporated with the other elements of the sake, there is a noticeable, sweet chestnut-like aroma coming from the rice. To the naked eye, each grain of rice appears to be coated with a white frost.
This cultivation of koji (once koji-kin is fully grown onto sake rice, it is simply called “koji”) is often considered the most important part of the sake brewing process. Although the method of koji-making varies greatly from one brewery to another, in each brewery the koji muro (room for making koji) is the most sacred and revered part of the brewery.
Akita Konno (Japan)
Since establishment of our company, we have had a lot of industry-university and industry-academic-government joint research and development. In those, there are white Koji fungi as stated above, non-dark and non-black pigment Koji fungi , leucine acid high productive Koji fungi (received Tohoku Invention Recognition Invention Exhortation award 1990 fiscal year), anti-fungi material “Asperatine”. The Institute of Biotechnology Applied to Eumycetes was established by investment of the Biologic Specific Industry Investigation Promoting Government Organization 1994 and we are making rapid progress as general microbe starter maker.
Higuchi Moyashi (Japan)
“Principal Clients: Over 85% of Japanese sake, miso and soy sauce manufacturers. Most leading shochu manufacturers.
Business: Koji starters of all kinds used in the production of sake, miso, soy sauce shochu and mirin. Marketing of enzyme preparations for brewing, including products from Amano Enzyme Co. Ltd., Daiwa Fine Chemicals Co. Ltd. and HBI Co. Ltd.”
Tokushima Seikiku (Japan)
“Tokushimaseikiku is producing ‘Dry Koji’ with their patented dry system that enables the product to maintain its quality for the long term even though usual koji can’t do it. You can use not only for the fermented food such as Alcohol Beverage, Miso and Mirin but also for bakery dough instead of yeast food.”