“Moyashi” is a bit tricky: it’s simply translated as “bean sprout” in Japanese, but in the world of sake it refers to the sprouting koji starter knows as tane-koji, in Japanese. In this week’s episode we get insight as to how this important terminology also ties into an even more specialized term “soyashi” and how the fermentation process is connected to the sprouting of various bacteria and molds.

Moyashi was the Sake Concierge, Takashi “Umio” Eguchi’s second word choice in our On Your Own Terms series. He always offers an insightful perspective as part of his explanations about sake and the related enjoyment and culture. Our conversation today is a walk through the historical methods of sake brewing, and how past techniques have been passed down to the terms and practices that still thrive today.

Was moyashi new to you? Share more with us here at @sakeonair on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, or send us a message with your thoughts and experiences to [email protected].

We’ll be back with more Sake On Air – On Your Own Terms, before you know it.
Until then, kampai!

Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is recorded and broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is brought to you by Potts.K Productions with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.