Chungkuk-jang (hereafter referred to simply as
jang), a traditional fermented soybean product in Korea, is manufactured by a process similar to that of Japanese
itohiki-natto (referred to as
natto). The bacteria isolated from
jang were identified to belong to
Bacillus subtilis (Ehrenberg) Cohn. The quality of
jang manufactured with the isolated bacteria and two kinds of
natto bacilli,
B. subtilis (
natto) KFP2 and KFP419, was evaluated to be as good in sensory evaluation except for the viscosity. Therefore, the isolated bacteria were estimated as
B. subtilis (
natto). In
jang, soybean proteins were degraded to increase soluble and formol nitrogens. Sticky materials were produced, and
natto-like flavor was emitted.
Jang prepared in the laboratory showed elastase activity, and it was twice-to-three-times higher than that of the commercial product. While
jang is a different product from that of
natto, both products contain the common starter and elastase.
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