also: しゅきん
starter culture; mother; seed fungus
Refers to a fungal colony or microbial culture used to initiate fermentation in food production (e.g., for making koji, natto, or yogurt).
To make miso, you first inoculate the rice with the starter culture.
This natto starter culture is cultivated using traditional methods.
Standard kanji form; the reading たねきん is the most common.
Alternate reading, less common but still used in technical contexts.
Compound of 種 (seed) and 菌 (fungus/bacterium). The reading たねきん uses the kun'yomi for 種 and the on'yomi for 菌, while しゅきん uses on'yomi for both.