2015 Volume 31 Issue 1 Pages 1-9
Sendango is a traditional delicacy this is made from fermented ground sweet potato and is produced exclusively in Tsushima, Nagasaki, Japan. Unexpectedly for a sweet potato product, a noodle prepared from sendango, rokube, has a unique texture somewhat similar to that of konnyaku. The fungi or other microbes that cause mold to from during sendago fermentation are considered likely to be involved in creating the specific texture of rokube, but this is yet to be determined. Here, we tracked culturable microbes occurring during the process of sendango formation over a 4-year period. Overall, the predominant microbes were Mucor sp., Penicillium spp., Candida sp., Bacillus sp. and Paenibacillus sp. Because previous studies have demonstrated that the unique texture of rokube is attributable to the partial degradation of starch and fiber, microorganisms with amylolytic or pectolytic activity, or both, were identified. Among the fungi and bacteria isolated, some strains of Penicillium spp. and Mucor sp. were capable of this degradation and were thus likely contributors to the fermentation.
