INGREDIENT — 麹
The mould beneath Japanese fermentation.
Photo: Forrest O. / CC BY-SA 2.0
OVERVIEW
Steamed grain on which koji mould has grown, producing the enzymes that turn starch into sugar. Sake mainly uses yellow koji; shochu uses white, black or yellow; awamori uses black koji.
Drinks
- Dewazakura Oka GinjoDewazakura Sake Brewery
- Dassai Junmai Daiginjo Migaki Niwari SanbuDASSAI (DASSAI Inc.)
- GekkeikanGekkeikan
- HorinGekkeikan
- Hakutsuru MaruHakutsuru Sake Brewing
- HakkaisanHakkai Brewery
- Masumi YumedonoMiyasaka Brewing (Masumi)
- Masumi SankaMiyasaka Brewing (Masumi)
- Masumi NanagoMiyasaka Brewing (Masumi)
- Kuro KirishimaKirishima Shuzo
- iichikoSanwa Shurui (iichiko)
- HakutakeTakahashi Shuzo (Hakutake)
- Hakutake ShiroTakahashi Shuzo (Hakutake)
- Mugi Shochu IkiGenkai Shuzo
- Tomino HozanNishi Shuzo
- Kiccho HozanNishi Shuzo
- Tenshi no YuwakuNishi Shuzo
- ZuisenZuisen Distillery
- ChukoChuko Awamori Distillery
- Jikabi SeifukuSeifuku Shuzo
- Kumejima's KumesenKumejima's Kumesen
Drinks are grouped by their category's basic ingredients or an officially stated main ingredient.
SOURCES
- 1日本の酒・本格焼酎と泡盛日本酒造組合中央会 Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association · Industry body · accessed 2026-09-26
- 2泡盛ってどんなお酒沖縄県酒造組合 Okinawa Prefecture Distillers Association · Industry body · accessed 2026-09-26
PHOTO CREDITS
All image credits →- 1Rice koji — Forrest O. · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons