Ethno-microbiology of Tempe, an Indonesian fungal-fermented soybean food and Koji, a Japanese fungal starter culture.

Some mycelial fungi are domesticated by the Asian people for production of fermented foods and starter cultures by using their ethno-microbiological knowledge. The objective of the present review is to corroborate the importance of domestication of Rhizopus oligosporus for Indonesian tempe, a fermented soybean food and Aspergillus oryzae, A. sojae, A. tamari, and A. luchuensis mut. kawachii for Japanese koji, a nonedible starter. Information on genome sequences of A. oryzae, A. sojae, and A. luchuensis mut. kawachii is available, whereas R. oligosporus is not completely sequenced. Tempe is high in nutrients and has several functional properties. Koji contains several enzymes and untargeted metabolites such as soyasaponins, lysophospholipids, dipeptides, and so on. This review is an exemplary of the worth ethno-microbiological knowledge of the Asian people, which has been complimented by the evidence-based science. Future directions: Studies on functional genomics platforms for both Rhizopus spp. And Aspergillus spp.,...