Applied Fungus Technology

Koji starter (Tane-Koji) which is the pillar of the Japanese fermented foods such as Sake, Miso, soy sauce and Shochu is called Moyashi. Our products are called 'AKITA KONNO MOYASHI' or 'KONNO MOYASHI'. 'Moyashi' means 'sprout', because of that, Koji starter (Tane-Koji) became to be called 'Moyashi' in a common belief.
Tane-Koji business was established in our country a long time ago. In fact, Tane-Koji guild received an exclusive permission from the Shogunate in the Muromachi period during the 13th to 15th centuries.
Tane-Koji is a starter culture of Asp. oryzae for making Koji. Koji fungi are cultured on steamed rice at polishing ratio 96% with trace of ash at 34 to 36℃ for one week during the production of Tane-Koji.
The ash to mix in Tane-Koji making is made by burning leaves such as camellia, zelkove or oak in the roster. Ash is rich in mimeral nutrition sources such as potassium, magnesium and phosphate.
The effects by ash are to increase spore yield and survival rate, and to inhibit various contaminants. The starter of Tane-Koji in these day was prepared by drying aged Koji and ash. Making Tane-Koji at that time was very primitive, but pure culture using flask, which we adouped first, was epochmaking. Therefore, Konno Moyashi made rapid progress.

Ki-Koji (Asp. oryzae)	White Koji (Color mutant of Asp. oryzae)	Black Koji (Asp. awamorii)

There are some differences in making between Tane-Koji and Koji.
1) The main parpose of Koji making is the producing enzyme. However, that of Tane-Koji is the producing spores for Koji making.
2) For Koji making, polished rice or barley is uesd and it takes about two days. But for Tane-Koji making, nutritious rice with high polishing rate (brown rice) is used and it takes about one week.
3) Tane-Koji is normally dried for quarity keeping.
4) In Tane-Koji making, about one parcent of ash is added to steamed and cooled rice for good growing of Koji fungi and good sporing, and improving preservation.
The best ash is camellia ash, but sometimes Tane-Koji is made without ash.

Several kinds of Tane-Koji have been developed from different strain of Aspergillus that have been handed down as heirlooms by every producers and some of them are obtained by natural or artificial mutation. Since olden times Tane-Koji has been distributed to all brewer's by Tane-Koji producers, and the strains used for Tane-Koji has eventually formed a unique group of fungi, different from the wild types, as a result of the long history of development.