YEASTS AND MOLDS 



35 



The Japanese soya sauce (fermented soya beans, Glycine hispidus) and 

 miso, a soup stock of wheat and soya beans, is prepared through the action 

 of Aspergillus oryza and A . wentii. The Javanese arrak is made from rice 

 which is first acted upon by a fungus (Ragi} in many respects similar to A. 

 oryza, and subsequently, the alcoholic fermentation is carried on by the 

 Saccharomyces, thus the method of arrak manufacture is closely similar to 



PIG. 78. Sake making. A, Dead or dying yeast cells; B, active yeast cells 

 which convert the saccharine substances formed by the aspergillus into alcohol. C, D, 

 yeast cells and hyphae of aspergillus from the fermenting vats. 



that of sake. More generally, however, arrak is made from fermented mo- 

 lasses. There are many other species of mold, including the very com- 

 mon Penicillium glaucum, which have the power of converting starch into 

 saccharine compounds in the presence of moisture, but thus far these are 

 not used industrially. An alcoholic drink of the East Indies is prepared 

 from a starchy root as follows: A number of people, usually girls, sit 

 about a large vessel masticating the roots which are then expectorated into 

 the vessel. The ferment ptyalin of the saliva converts the starch into 

 saccharine substances which is then acted upon by the Saccharomyces, 

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