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Koji Mold
Aspergillus oryzae is the koji mold, a domesticated ascomycete used across East Asia to break down the starch in grains and to ferment soybeans. It is the basis of sake, shochu, soy sauce, miso and rice vinegar. It is closely related to the aflatoxin-producing A. flavus, but A. oryzae has not been found to produce aflatoxins.
Not a mushroom; food-grade koji strains are consumed in fermented foods. A. oryzae has not been found to produce aflatoxins: its aflatoxin gene cluster is non-functional. Its close relatives A. flavus and A. parasiticus do produce them, and wild molds on grain cannot be told apart by eye, so use only food-grade starter cultures.
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Mycology is an evolving science: names, classifications and safety information change as research advances. Entries are compiled from cited sources and reviewed, but may be incomplete or out of date — check the sources, and never rely on this library alone to identify or eat a mushroom.
