Koji is commonly used in the manufacture of Japanese fermented products because it promotes enzymatic degradation. Koji is a Japanese ferment obtained by seeding a substrate with a mould called Aspergillus oryzae.

Koji is used as a basic ingredient in the manufacture of many food products in Japanese cuisine such as sake, soy sauce, miso or even mirin.

Recently an algae based koji has been developed by growing Aspergillus oryzae on the red alga nori Pyropia yezoensis.

In this study, authors prepare nori koji using either high-quality or underused low-quality nori. This koji is then used to inoculate and mature nori seaweed for 120 days under favourable conditions allowing an increase in aromatic compounds and free amino acids.

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