Note on some Formosan Fermentation < ' 



Organisms. 



By 

 K. S.iito. 



In various parts of the Formosan Island, one can purchase 

 many kinds of alcoholic beverages, which are prepared by 

 distilling certain fermentation products or by admixing some 

 essence to those spirituous liquids obtained. In practice, com- 

 mon rice or its variety, glutinous rice (sometimes also sweet 

 potato) is used as the raw material and the alcoholic fermenta- 

 tion follows on the saccharification of the starch contained in 

 the material used. 



The process of obtaining the spirituous liquid may be 

 divided into three stages, viz. Koji-making, mashing, and 

 distilling. It is said that primitive but very ingenious methods 

 are used. The Koji seems to contain the germs of fungi useful 

 for the saccharification of starch and for the subsequent 

 alcoholic fermentation. This remarkable agent also brings 

 about the fermentation of steamed starch meals or saccharine 

 solutions, to which it has been added, and transforms them into 

 a liquid emitting the spirituous odour. Hence, as is already 

 known of many beverages in Eastern Asia, the fermentation 

 may be regarded as metabiotic. 



Whatever be the kind of the beverage produced, the Koji 

 used in Formosa is only of two kinds, one called " Beni-koji " 

 and other " Shiro-koji." Uyeda*' investigated on the one hand, 

 the flora of the ** Beni-koji " and found Monascus purpureas 

 Went and a yeast to be the essential forms constantly met 



1 



1) Tliis Magazine, 1902, Vol. 15, No. 178, p. 160. 



