The Shochu and Fermentation Studies

●Research
I. Investigation of volatile compounds in imo-shochu and its production mechanisms
Imo-shochu is one of Japanese spirit made from sweet potato and koji, and has favorable and characteristic flavor. We identify the characteristic compounds in imo-shochu and investigate their production mechanisms using GC-MS.

II. The effects of the quality of brown sugar and manufacture process on the sensory characteristics of kokuto-shochu.
Kokuto-shochu is also Japanese spirits, and it is made from brown sugar (kokuto) and koji. It is characterized by sweet flavor derived from kokuto and rich taste derived from koji. We are looking for volatile compounds characteristic for kokuto-shochu using GC-MS.

III. The effects of quality of sweet potato on sensory characteristics of imo-shochu.
The quality of sweet potato is known to affect the characteristics of imo-shohcu, and it is changed by many factors such as heating method, cultivation, and stalk end cutting. We investigate the effects of these factors on sensory characteristics of imo-shochu.

IV. Efficient use of imo-shochu lees
Imo-shochu lees are possible to have multiple health functionalities since it is a fermented material.

V. The health functionality of Japanese fermented foods
Recently, Japanese foods (washoku) have attracted worldwide attention as foods that might promote longevity. The fermented foods such as miso, soy source, and sake are necessary for washoku. Thus, we investigate the health functionalities or functional components in Japanese traditional fermented foods.

●Member
・Kazunori Takamine （Professor）[e-mail] k6943994(at)kadai.jp
・Yumiko Yoshizaki （Associate Professor）[e-mail] k7814020(at)kadai.jp
・Kayu Okutsu （Assistant Professor）[e-mail] okutsu(at)chem.agri.kagoshima-u.ac.jp

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