Microbial and chemical properties of aji-no-susu, a traditional fermented fish with rice product in the Noto Peninsula, Japan

• Published in: Fisheries science 2009-11, Vol.75 (6), p.1499-1506
• Main Authors: Kuda, T., Tokyo Univ. of Marine Science and Technology (Japan), Tanibe, R, Mori, M, Take, H, Michihata, T, Yano, T, Takahashi, H, Kimura, B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ALIMENT FERMENTE; ALIMENTOS FERMENTADOS; Amino acids; ARROZ; Bacteria; BACTERIAS ACIDOLACTICAS; BACTERIE LACTIQUE; Chemical properties; CHINCHARD; Debaryomyces hansenii; FERMENTACION; FERMENTATION; FERMENTED FOODS; Fish; Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management; Fishery products; FLORA MICROBIANA; FLORE MICROBIENNE; Food Science; Freshwater & Marine Ecology; GABA; HORSE MACKEREL; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_15990; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_16367; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_27521; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_2855; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_35194; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_3667; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_4039; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_4144; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_42696; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_6599; JAPAN; JAPON; JUREL; LACTIC ACID BACTERIA; LACTOBACILLUS; Lactobacillus plantarum; Life Sciences; Marine; MICROBIAL FLORA; Microbiology; Organic acids; Original Article; Oryza sativa; RICE; RIZ; Scomber; TRACHURUS JAPONICUS; Yeasts
• ISSN: 0919-9268; 1444-2906
• DOI: 10.1007/s12562-009-0175-0

Aji-no-susu is a Japanese fermented fish product prepared from salted horse mackerel Trachurus japonicus, and cooked rice. We studied the organic acid and free amino acid contents and microflora in 12 aji-no-susu products to clarify their features as a lactic-acid-fermented food. Salinity of the samples was approximately 7.0% (rice portion) and 6.0% (fish portion) (w/w). Water activity was approximately 0.9, and pH was approximately 4.4 and lower. In the rice portions, lactic acid content was very high (57 mg/g sample). The predominant amino acids were alanine (2.3 mg/g rice portion) and lysine (2.1 mg/g). In the case of long-fermented (4 and 12 months) aji-no-susu, a high content of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA, 1.5 and 1.4 mg/g) was detected. Total viable counts in rice and fish portions were 7.7 and 7.4 log colony-forming units (cfu)/g, respectively. The number of lactobacilli in the rice and fish portions was 7.3 and 7.1 log cfu/g, respectively. Yeasts were detected in eight samples. Furthermore, acid tolerant lactic acid bacteria (LAB) (Lactobacillus plantarum), GABA-producing LAB (Lactobacillus sp.), and halophilic or halo-tolerant yeast (Debaryomyces hansenii) were isolated and identified. Results in this study indicate that aji-no-susu is a typical traditional lactic-acid-fermented fish product.