Qu, or jiuqu, is China's legendary fermentation powerhouse, steeped in thousands of years of tradition. Unlike nuruk’s wild approach, qu is carefully cultivated, often involving a combination of wheat, barley, peas, and even medicinal herbs, compressed into cakes.

Jiuqu, also simply known as qu, [a] is a type of dried fermentation starter used in the production of traditional Chinese alcoholic beverages. [2] The word jiuqu specifically refers to a type of yeast (曲; 麴; qū) used to make alcohol (酒; jiǔ) such as huangjiu (cereal wine), baijiu (distilled spirits) and jiuniang (alcoholic rice pudding).

Aug 2, 2013 · Koji is our lifeblood. It is the basis of many of our fermentation experiments, the functional backbone of our pursuit for diverse flavours and umami taste. This post reviews its cultural and evolutionary history, and describes our technique for producing koji at the lab.

Dec 30, 2024 · Qu (pronounced “chu”) was the Swiss Army knife of fermentation in ancient China. Made from grains or legumes inoculated with a chaotic mix of molds, bacteria, and yeasts, it was a one-stop shop for brewing alcohol, making vinegar, and crafting fermented sauces.

Nov 11, 2024 · Fermentation is a hands-off process that transforms food, and koji is one of its key players. By breaking down starches and proteins, koji’s enzymes perform culinary magic—from the rich umami of miso to the smooth sweetness of sake.

Oct 28, 2021 · Koji is so important to sake-making it’s been called Japan’s “National Fungus,” but its origins are murky. Sake lovers know the essential role koji plays in sake brewing. The mold’s enzymes transform the starches locked in rice into sugar needed for fermentation.

Jan 15, 2025 · This is where koji comes in. Koji produces the amylase enzymes which convert starch into sugar, thereby enabling yeast to consume the sugar and create alcohol. Through koji too, proteins are converted into amino acids such as glutamate, responsible for that rich umami flavour we love and appreciate in sake.

Jul 28, 2023 · Koji (sometimes written as kōji or kouji) is a cooked grain (rice, soybeans or barley, etc) that has been inoculated with a fermentation culture called Aspergillus oryzae, koji mold. Koji is prepared by adding koji mold to steamed grains, then carefully kept in warm, humid conditions that promote growth. This is koji rice.

Sep 2, 2021 · What is Jiuqu / Koji? Jiuqu / Jiuqu is steamed rice and other grains that are fermented by breeding Jiuqu. Fermentation is the decomposition of organic matter into another substance by the action of microorganisms.

Jan 31, 2024 · Koji est un mot japonais qui désigne le ferment servant à faire le saké, le shochu (eau-de-vie), le vinaigre, le miso, la sauce soja et le tamari (sauce pur soja), ainsi que d’autres aliments fermentés comme les légumes ou l’amazaké. Dans le cas du saké et du miso, le substrat est du riz. Pour la sauce soja et le tamari, le substrat est du soja.