About
The character 麴 is a phono-semantic compound with the wheat radical 麥 (mài) on the left, situating it within the category of grains, and the component 匊 (jū) on the right, providing the pronunciation. It historically refers to the fermentation starter, koji or yeast, made from fermented grains, essential for brewing alcoholic drinks, making soy sauce, and producing other fermented foods. Its meaning is specifically tied to the contexts of brewing, fermentation, and traditional food processing.
Etymology Hide
