Starter Cultures

[Anchor Lead]

The Rural Development Administration has discovered indigenous bacterial starter cultures used in fermented food in an attempt for mass production. The administration says that they are tastier and of better quality compared to foreign ones.

[Pkg]

The fermented soybean paste called 'doenjang' is indispensable in Korean cooking. But most of the starter cultures used to produce the doenjang on the market are Japanese. This is because managing their fermentation process is relatively easy, making them appropriate for mass production. Korea's Rural Development Administration embarked on a project of seeking out homemade doenjang made in the traditional way at individual homes, and separated some 14-hundred different starter cultures for a close analysis. They were eventually able to discover ten types of high quality indigenous fungus. Compared to Japan's aspergillus, Korean fungi contained 1.3 to 1.5 times more glutamic acid and aspartic acid, leading to a flavorful taste.

[Soundbite] Seo Bun-rye(Culinary Expert) : "Korean bean paste (doenjang) is all about growing the starter bacteria. The starter is alive even after 10, 20 and 30 years which develops deep flavors."

Experts also believe the indigenous fungi produce no fungal toxins such as aflatoxin which ensures a safe and stable production of fermented foods. The Rural Development Administration has applied for patents for the ten domestic starters and plans to distribute them en masse following safety certification and registration with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.