Japanese Food Tips

Miso, soy sauce, tsukemono (Japanese pickles), sake, mirin, ama-zake, bonito flakes, etc. are representative Japanese fermented foods. Koji is indispensable for making these. It is produced by adding koji molds (Aspergillus oryzae) to such food as steamed rice, wheat and soybeans. Koji contains enzymes which produce delicious fermented foods. Koji molds, which originated in the Orient, are an edible microorganism that is effective for good health. In Japan, they naturally occur due to the unique climate, and are unparalleled in the world. Koji contains abundant enzymes, which are a type of protein originally made in the body. However, enzymes are fragile and become more difficult to be made in the body with age. Japan may be among the countries with the highest longevity in the world because its food uses koji. So, why not eat some Japanese fermented food to live a long healthy life?