Taste-Shaping-Natures

Abstract

Taste shapes evolution, microbes make tasty food, and humans and microbes have been shaping each other for a long while. Yet anthropological accounts of evolution and domestication have given little consideration to taste, microbes, or fermentation. In this paper we develop the concept of "taste-shaping-natures"-natures shaping and shaped by taste-to highlight these multispecies interactions, based on practices of translated fermentation in the New Nordic Cuisine. Here, chefs combine Japanese microbes and fermentation techniques with Scandinavian substrates to create new products and flavors. Focusing on novel misos made with the kōji fungus (Aspergillus oryzae), we illustrate how chefs sense their microbes through smell and taste, and identify the sources of kōji's exceptional microbial charisma. We situate the rise of kōji's allure in the context of New Nordic Cuisine, framed as a high-end response to anxieties about globalization and subsequent nationalisms, a reworking of the scientism of molecular gastronomy, and a postpastoral mobilization of different natures for the reconstruction of regional identity. The analysis traces the natural history of kōji's taste-shaping powers through the biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary consequences of New Nordic fermentation experiments. The conclusion reflects on how this nascent microbiology of desire revises prevalent understandings of domestication.Fermentation is domesticated decomposition-rot rehoused. (Sheldrake 2020:229) It is high summer in Copenhagen, July 2018, and Jason White, deputy head of fermentation at a renowned restaurant called Noma, is showing Evans how they make their yellow pea miso, or "peaso." Miso is a fermented paste consisting of soybeans, rice or other grains, and salt. It is rich in umami (discussed later) and has been used for centuries in Japanese cuisine as a savory base for soups, sauces, glazes, and other applications. Making miso starts with making kōji-the Japanese word for the filamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae. 1 Kōji describes these organisms and the ecology formed when they are grown on rice, barley, soybeans, or other starchy or proteinous substrates for use in fermentation. 2 The kōji fungus produces many enzymes that break down larger molecules, facilitating microbial metabolism that enhances the flavor, healthfulness, and preservation of many foodstuffs. Kōji is a cornerstone of Japanese cuisine, used to produce sake, soy sauce, and many other traditional products including miso. For this reason, the Brewing Society of Japan designated kōji the country's "national fungus" (Lee 2019).Aspergillus oryzae is closely associated with the rice plant (Oryza sativa), and as rice does not grow in Scandinavia, it is unlikely there are any indigenous populations of A. oryzae. Yet this fungus has found a home in restaurant kitchens across Copenhagen. At Noma, White and his team in the fermentation lab (fig. 1) grow around 75 to 100 kilos per week. White takes us through their process.White shows Evans through their process, as...

Microbial ecology of Australian commercial rice koji and soybean miso

“…It is unknown whether producer A includes different strains of A. oryzae , or whether this is due to the producer growing and using their own spores. One study has reported that repeated sporulation of rice koji can change the coloration of the spores 38 . Evans & Lorimar (2021) grew one generation in triplicate for a total of 25 generations and noted that the white spores changed to green between generations 6–10, and to black between generations 14–16, and after 20 generations the growth became furrier.…”

“…One study has reported that repeated sporulation of rice koji can change the coloration of the spores. 38 Evans & Lorimar (2021) grew one generation in triplicate for a total of 25 generations and noted that the white spores changed to green between generations 6-10, and to black between generations 14-16, and after 20 generations the growth became furrier. Whether these changes in color and morphology have food safety implications was not reported, and further research is needed in this area.…”

Food safety considerations in the production of traditional fermented products: Japanese rice koji and miso

“…This process may have associated risks as it has been seen that the spores may change over repeated generations of sporulation. Research by Evans and Lorimer (2021) found A. oryzae cultures grown repeatedly for 25 generations underwent spores changes in both color and furriness. The spores changed from white to green by generation 10, and then to black by generation 16, and after 20 generations it was noted that the growth was furrier (Evans & Lorimer, 2021).…”

“…Research by Evans and Lorimer (2021) found A. oryzae cultures grown repeatedly for 25 generations underwent spores changes in both color and furriness. The spores changed from white to green by generation 10, and then to black by generation 16, and after 20 generations it was noted that the growth was furrier (Evans & Lorimer, 2021). If or how these changes may affect the food safety of the koji spores has not been studied, and it is not known how easily A. oryzae spores can be contaminated if not produced in a sterile environment (Yamashita, 2021).…”

Having a drink with awkward Brett: Brettanomyces, taste(s) and wine/markets

“…Some non‐humans are more charismatic than others, evoking greater interest and affection (Lorimer, 2007). While recent advances in (particularly human) microbiome research has sparked engagement with the less charismatic and more awkward world of yeasts and microbiomes, this remains an undercurrent in agri‐food studies (notable exceptions include: Brice, 2014; Evans & Lorimer, 2021; Krzywoszynska, 2012, 2020; Morrow, 2021; Paxson, 2008; Tsing, 2015). I argue for the importance of studying these awkward microbes for agri‐food geography and our economic understanding of wine.…”