Hackoh
JAEN

The Secrets of Fermentation

Episode 2

How is it different from going bad?

What is the difference between going bad and fermenting?

Mugi stands at the fridge holding a tub of cooked beans, pulling a face. Hakkoh-chan floats beside her.
MugiUgh, this one has gone bad.
Hakkoh-chanSo what about miso?
MugiMiso hasn’t gone bad.
Hakkoh-chanIn both of them, tiny living things are eating.
MugiWait, the same thing is happening?
In the cooked beans on the left, microbes of many shapes are mixed together. In the miso on the right there are just as many, but all of one shape. What differs is the kind, not the number.
Hakkoh-chanWhat differs is which living thing won.
MugiWon?
Hakkoh-chanLeft alone, the fastest to multiply wins.
Inside the miso, microbes of one shape have multiplied. A few that dislike salt are there too, sitting quietly, unable to grow.
Hakkoh-chanMiso has salt in it.
Hakkoh-chanLiving things that dislike salt can’t multiply.
MugiDo they leave?
Hakkoh-chanNo, they’re still there. They just can’t multiply.
Hakkoh-chanThey aren’t villains. This place just doesn’t suit them.
MugiSo who decides?
Hakkoh-chanYou do. On the day you prepare it.
MugiGoing bad or fermenting is decided on that day.
Hakkoh-chanYes. That’s why the day you prepare it matters.
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