Tanefuri (sprinkling koji spores onto steamed rice)

Tanefuri (種振り) is an important step in sake brewing and forms part of koji making (seigiku). After the steamed rice has been worked by hand (tokomomi), cooled, and spread out evenly, spores of tane-koji (koji starter) are dusted over it from a dedicated container. This allows the koji mold to adhere evenly to the steamed rice and lays the groundwork for fermentation to proceed properly. Tanefuri is an indispensable process for making good koji and has a significant influence on the flavor of the sake.