Aims:  To isolate, characterize, and identify lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in suan‐tsai (fermented mustard), a traditional fermented food in Taiwan. Methods and Results:  Suan‐tsai samples were collected at five time points from a fixed fermenting bucket. Fifty cultures were isolated from suan‐tsai samples, and isolates were divided into classes by phenotype and then into groups by restriction‐fragment length polymorphism analysis and sequencing of 16S ribosomal DNA. Phenotypic and biochemical characteristics identified two different bacterial groups (A and B), and the results showed that Pediococcus pentosaceus was the most abundant LAB during the initial fermentation time. However, the more NaCl‐tolerant species Tetragenococcus halophilus took the place of P. pentosaceus and became the most abundant LAB later. All isolates were grown in de Man, Rogosa, and Sharpe (MRS) broth containing 6% NaCl, but T. halophilus could grow only in MRS broth containing 10% NaCl. Conclusions:  These results suggest that the LAB P. pentosaceus and T. halophilus play roles in the fermentation of suan‐tsai. Significance and Impact of the Study:  This is the first report describing the distribution and varieties of LAB that exist in the suan‐tsai fermentation process.

Aims:  To isolate, characterize and identify lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in dochi (fermented black beans), a traditional fermented food in Taiwan. Methods and Results:  A total of 30 samples were collected from three different dochi producers and analysed after different periods of storage. Fifty‐two cultures of LAB were isolated from dochi samples and the isolates were divided into classes by phenotype and then into groups by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and sequencing of 16S ribosomal DNA. Phenotypic and biochemical characteristics identified six different bacterial groups (A–F) and showed that the majority of the isolates were homofermentative LAB. Enterococcus faecium was the most abundant of the dochi‐isolated LAB. All isolated LAB were able to grow in MRS broth containing 6% NaCl, but only Enterococcus, Pediococcus and Tetragenococcus species could grow in MRS broth containing 10% NaCl. Furthermore, antibacterial activities of isolates were determined, and four isolates showed inhibitory activities against the indicator strain Lactobacillus sakei JCM 1157T. Conclusions:  These results suggest that Ent. faecium is the main LAB present during the fermentation of dochi. Significance and Impact of the Study:  This is the first report describing the distribution and varieties of LAB that exist in the dochi fermentation process.

Twenty-one homofermentative lactic acid bacteria were isolated from fermented cummingcordia (pobuzihi), a traditional food in Taiwan. The isolates had identical 16S rRNA gene sequences that were distinct from those of other lactobacilli, and their closest neighbours in the 16S rRNA gene sequence phylogenetic tree were strains of Lactobacillus acidipiscis. Levels of DNA-DNA relatedness between representative pobuzihi isolates and strains of L. acidipiscis were 17 % and below. Furthermore, the new isolates could be differentiated clearly from L. acidipiscis NBRC 102163 T and NBRC 102164 in terms of acid production from L-arabinose, rhamnose, mannitol, lactose and 5-ketogluconate. It was concluded that the new isolates represent a single novel species of the genus Lactobacillus, for which the name Lactobacillus pobuzihii sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is E100301 T (5RIFY 6501 T 5NBRC 103219 T 5KCTC 13174 T ).Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are widely distributed in foods in Taiwan such as suan-tsai (fermented mustard) (Chen et al., 2006a) and dochi (fermented black beans) (Chen et al., 2006b). Pediococcus pentosaceus, Tetragenococcus halophilus and Enterococcus faecium have been isolated from these foods and possibly play important roles in their souring and ripening. Pobuzihi is a popular traditional food sold in both traditional markets and supermarkets in Taiwan. It is produced by fermenting cummingcordia, a grain product. Pobuzihi is produced by two different methods that yield different flavours. In one method (method A), harvested cummingcordia is washed, boiled, mixed with salt (NaCl) and then packed in containers while hot. After cooling, congealed cummingcordia is removed from the containers and placed in urns containing a salt solution. Usually, fermentation continues for at least 10 days, but some producers maintain a longer fermentation time. In the other method (method B), cummingcordia is boiled and dried, and then mixed with sugar, salt, soy and sake (rice wine). Finally, the mixture is packed in bottles, sealed and fermented for 15 days or longer. In both methods A and B, the fermentations are carried out at room temperature. Pobuzihi is used both as a food and as a seasoning. The fermentation process of pobuzihi has not been studied in detail, despite the popularity of the product. The present study deals with the isolation of LAB predominating in pobuzihi and their taxonomic characterization as representing a novel species of the genus Lactobacillus.Twelve pobuzihi samples were collected from one factory (Yunlin county, Taiwan), traditional markets and supermarkets. Eight of the samples were fermented with method A and four with method B. LAB were isolated from pobuzihi by using the methods described by Chen et al. (2006a). MRS broth (Difco) containing 6 % NaCl was used for isolation. Cultivation for isolation was carried out anaerobically at 37 u C. The purity of the isolates was confirmed by spreading on an MRS agar plate containing 6 % NaCl. Lactobacillus acidipiscis strains NBRC 102163 T and...