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The character 麹 (also written as 麴 in its traditional form) represents yeast or leaven, specifically the fermentation starter known as koji, which is essential in brewing alcoholic beverages, making soy sauce, and preparing various fermented foods across East Asia. It is a phono-semantic compound: the left radical 麦 (or 麥 in traditional form), meaning wheat or grain, indicates the agricultural material used in fermentation, while the right component 匊 serves as the phonetic element, guiding the character's pronunciation. Both simplified and traditional forms convey the same meaning related to brewing and fermentation ingredients.