koji

[ koh-jee ]

noun

1. a fungus, Aspergillus oryzae, used to initiate fermentation of a mixture of soybeans and wheat in the production of soy sauce.

Word History and Origins

Origin of koji¹

< Japanese kōji malt, yeast < kaudi < kaũdi < kamudati, probably equivalent to *kamu (< *kanpu mold; compare kabu, a variant outcome of the same etymon) + -dati, combining form of tati to rise

Example Sentences

At this point in the game’s development, Wise was not officially the composer; he figured that Koji Kondo, Nintendo’s go-to composer who worked on Super Mario and Legend of Zelda games, would take over.

From New York Times

Koji Murata, one of the scientists behind the project, points out that in the early 1900s, “airplanes were made of wood.”

From NewsForKids.net

For the last seven years, Kammerer has been working with koji mold, or Aspergillus oryzae, which is widely used in Japanese cuisine to ferment soybeans and make things like soy sauce and miso.

From Salon

In the last decade, "koji's kind of been the star of the show, but it seems like a very similar process and technique," said Kammerer.

From Salon

Koji Agatsuma, Hitachi Rail’s technical chief, who oversaw the company's battery train project, says there is now interest in the UK thanks to a mix of technological improvement and a change in political climate.

From BBC