Steps
- 1.
Shoyu (Japanese soy sauce) (Japan): Koji breaks down soy proteins into glutamic acid for umami, while wheat starches convert to sugars
- 2.
Doubanjiang (Fermented chili bean paste) (China): Koji fermentation develops deep savory notes and softens fava beans
- 3.
Makgeolli (Korean rice wine) (Korea): Koji saccharifies rice starches to fermentable sugars for alcoholic fermentation
The Science
Primary Reaction
Proteolysis