Aspergillus oryzae (
Chinese: 麴菌, 麴霉菌, 曲霉菌,
pinyin:
qū meí jūn;
Japanese: 麹,
kōji, or 麹菌,
kōji-kin,
Korean: 누룩균,
nurukgyun or 누룩곰팡이
nuruk-gompang-i) is a
filamentous fungus (a
mold). It is used in various East Asian cuisines to
ferment soybeans. It is also used to
saccharify rice, other
grains, and
potatoes in the making of
alcoholic beverages such as
huangjiu,
sake,
makgeolli, and
shōchū. The
domestication of
A. oryzae occurred at least 2000 years ago.
A. oryzae is also used for the production of
rice vinegars.