Microorganisms essential for fermentation｜Amazake specialty store Ren MURO Muro [Official mail order]

Hello. This is Ren MURO, a store specializing in rice koji amazake.

Everyone, how was your GW? I would appreciate it if there were many people who enjoyed the time at home (^^)

In my last blog, I wrote about fermented foods using koji.

This time, I would like to talk about not only koji but also microorganisms involved in various fermented foods and their foods.

 

Fermentation is the life activity of microorganisms.

 

There are three major types of microorganisms that produce fermented foods: ① mold ② yeast ③ bacteria.

① mold (mold)

Typical examples include Aspergillus oryzae, Blue cheese, and Katsuobushi mold, which are famous for blue cheese.

Aspergillus oryzae is a type of mold that grows on steamed grains. It is an indispensable fungus in Japanese food culture that produces traditional Japanese seasonings such as soy sauce and miso.

≪Main foods≫

Amazake, sake, miso, soy sauce, mirin, blue cheese, camembert cheese, bonito flakes, etc.

② Yeast

It is a fungus that is active when making bread, beer, wine, sake, etc. Yeast is alcoholic fermentation.

Yeast lives in the air and everywhere in nature. During the fermentation process, sugar is decomposed to produce carbon dioxide and alcohol, which is used to make alcohol such as sake. Alcohol gives off a pleasant scent. The reason bread rises is due to the action of carbon dioxide.

≪Main foods≫

Wine, beer, sake, bread, etc.

③ Bacteria

Typical examples are lactic acid bacteria, acetic acid bacteria, and natto bacteria.

 

・Lactic acid bacteria

Lactic acid bacteria is a general term for bacteria that feed on sugars contained in food and produce lactic acid.

When lactic acid bacteria are added to animal milk, the liquid solidifies, and yogurt is made by taking advantage of this property.

≪Main foods≫

Yogurt, cheese, pickles, miso, soy sauce, etc.

・Acetate bacteria

Acetobacter is a general term for bacteria that convert alcohol and sugar into acetic acid.

The kanji character for "vinegar" means "made from sake", which means that vinegar is formed by acetic acid fermentation from sake.

≪Main foods≫

Vinegar, nata de coco, etc.

・Bacillus natto

Bacillus natto is abundant in rice straw.

When Bacillus subtilis natto is added to heated soybeans and fermented, the protein contained in soybeans is decomposed and amino acids that are umami are produced.

And the natto that pulls the string is completed. Fermented soybeans contain six times more vitamin B2 than boiled soybeans, and hundreds of times more vitamin K2 . Bacillus natto has a strong propagative ability and has the power to keep other bacteria out, and since it affects other bacteria in miso and soy sauce breweries, people who have eaten natto should be careful not to enter. It seems that it is treated as such.

*In my previous blog, "How to make amazake," please do not eat natto when making amazake. This is why I said.

≪Main foods≫

natto

In this way, various microorganisms are involved in fermented foods.

Thanks to these microorganisms, I am grateful that I can eat various fermented foods that boost my immunity. At times like this, we want to turn our attention to the “richness” that surrounds us.

 

Thank you very much for reading to the end today.

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Noren MURO Kagurazaka

Address: 1-12-6 Kagurazaka , Shinjuku -ku, Tokyo 162-0825

Phone number: 03-5579-2910

Website URL : http://noren-japan.jp/store/murokagurazaka/

EC site URL : https://koujiamasake.jp/

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/noren_muro/