Mold is something that many might fear and avoid, but Elliott Notrica ‘26 says let it grow — or rather, ferment.

"Koji" mold, which is key to sake production and is called "the mold of the nation," has been developed in Japan since ancient times. With traditional sake production's addition to the UNESCO list ...

Following its inclusion on UNESCO’s cultural heritage list, Japanese brewers hope to showcase the true identity of sake and ...

Grains or soybeans that have been inoculated with koji mold are behind some of Japan’s most important fermented foods, including true soy sauce (shoyu), sake, and miso. Koji has also been ...

The factory makes koji spore ― Japan's "national mold" ― and supplies it to brewers of sake and makers of seasonings such as soy sauce and miso. Only around 10 koji spore makers are left in Japan.

Producing a beverage through mold may sound unappetizing. But “traditional knowledge and skills of sake-making with ‘koji’ mold in Japan” is now registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural ...

is made by adding kojikabi (koji mold) to steamed rice or barley. Indispensable to the production of fermented foods that are basic to Japanese cuisine, koji mold is called “kokkin” (literally ...

Hill-Maini used A. oryzae, commonly known as koji mold, for his experiment. Using clustered regulatory interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR), the team overexpressed two genes: one that produced ...

The Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association (JSS) is hosting a special tour inviting top professionals from the global wine ...

The petri dish on the left contains the natural koji mold, whereas the one on the right has been engineered to contain higher levels of a nutrient called ergothioneine and more heme – an iron ...

Fermenting soybeans, Koji mold and salt produces miso. The taste of this rich, aromatic seasoning varies depending on regional climates. In Kyoto, rice miso is the standard, while white miso ...

The tour also includes visits to koji mold producers and rice fields, providing a holistic understanding of sake production from grain to glass. In the shochu tour, top bartenders and bar managers ...