Koji (rice malt) - Koji

Japanese: こうじ(麴) - こうじ

Koji is made by growing mold such as Aspergillus oryzae on rice, wheat, or soybeans. The enzymes produced by the mold break down starch and protein into sugar and amino acids, respectively, and are used in the brewing of alcoholic beverages, miso, soy sauce, and the manufacture of pickles and sweets. The technology that uses koji is limited to East Asia, and has spread from the Himalayan region to the evergreen broad-leaved forest zone including Japan, as far north as China and as far south as Indonesia. Koji is divided into two types based on its shape: (1) Mochi koji: Raw or roasted grains are crushed, kneaded with water, and hardened into the shape of a brick, disk, or dumpling, and then molded.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

米，麦，大豆などにコウジカビなどのカビをはやしたもの。カビのつくりだす酵素がデンプン，タンパク質をそれぞれ糖やアミノ酸に分解することを利用して，酒類，みそ，しょうゆなどの醸造や漬物，菓子などの製造に用いられる。こうじを用いる技術は東アジア圏にかぎられ，ヒマラヤ地域から日本を含む照葉樹林帯を中心に，北は中国，南はインドネシアまで広がっている。こうじはその形状により次の2種に分けられる。(1)餅こうじ　生または炒（い）った穀物を粉砕，水で練って煉瓦状，円板状，だんご状にかため，カビをつけたもの。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

<<: Calf - Koushi

>>: Lectures on history - koushi (English spelling) jiǎng shǐ