We held our senior thesis presentations yesterday and today. All students completed their presentations successfully, and we could see the relief on their faces. The presentations were of excellent quality. Well done to all!
Tsuda Harutoshi
Author's posts
Jan 20
Paper on nutty aroma
3-methylbutanal is known to contribute to a nutty aroma in cheese. A paper on a Lactococcus cremoris strain producing 3-methylbutanal has recently been published. Previous studies have reported that 3-methylbutanal is produced most efficiently at temperatures of 37°C or higher. However, in this strain, the highest production level was observed at the relatively low temperature of 20°C. In addition, two metabolic pathways for 3-methylbutanal production have been proposed: a direct pathway and an indirect pathway. The direct pathway has generally been considered the major pathway. In contrast, our findings suggest that the indirect pathway may be the predominant pathway in this strain. Such a difference in the dominant pathway might …
Dec 26
Reiwa 7 year-end party
We were able to hold our year-end party again this year. The dumplings were delicious, and the hot pot was delicious too. They even made hot sandwiches at the end. What more could we ask for? I look forward to seeing everyone healthy and well again next year. Happy New Year. By the way, this year’s cheeses were Saint-Marcellin, Mozzarella, Brie, Époisses, Provolone, and Asiago.
Nov 14
Milking of Japanese Shorthorn Cattle 2
I had the pleasure of visiting the Agri-Innovation Education and Research Centre at Akita Prefectural University to sample some milk from Japanese Shorthorn cattle. They are producing and marketing their pasture-raised beef under the “Gatabeko” brand. It is quite rare to find beef from pasture-raised Wagyu, particularly when it is not derived from the Japanese Black breed.
Nov 04
Halloween
On October 31st, we cooked takoyaki* for Halloween. It was delicious, and the decorations were lovely. *: a popular Japanese street food consisting of bite-sized wheat-flour balls filled with octopus. They are cooked in a specialized molded pan and served with savory sauce, mayonnaise, bonito flakes, and seaweed.