Moromi (Mash)
Japanese: 醪（もろみ）
The semi-liquid mixture undergoing fermentation and aging in soy sauce or sake brewing. It is the active site where microorganisms work.
Moromi is the front line of brewing. In soy sauce production, koji enzymes, lactic acid bacteria, and yeast sequentially work within the brine-koji mixture over months to years, building complex flavor. In sake brewing, parallel multiple fermentation proceeds in a moromi of steamed rice, koji, and water. Pressing this moromi separates clear sake from sake lees. Moromi is the very stage where microorganisms perform together. Moromi's condition changes daily, and makers read these changes through all five senses. Observing moromi means standing at fermentation's front line, experiencing the drama woven by microorganisms up close.