4 - How to Regain Food Sovereignty via Koji and Fermentation of the Amis Culture

Indigenous Amis people of Taiwan use the saying “Misanga to ecaw, awaay ko raraw” (making rice leaven can ease conflict) to fight against the outdated law of alcohol monopoly. Facing the pressure of food hygiene regulation, home-made alcohol for ritual purpose is stigmatized and banned by the government since Japanese colonial period up to now. This paper explores how the Amis people utilize fermented food and koji products as a strategy to reclaim tradition and resistance. In the context of modern Amis’ activism, the search for koji/brewer’s leaven plants and the cultivation of traditional rice varieties have become the act of regaining food sovereignty.

Indigenous cuisine values authentic flavors, and the use of sauces derives from the need for food preservation and enhancement of taste. Amis people focus on materials mainly derived from two methods: fermentation (misa'epah) and pickling (bacilahan). Fermented "sauces" are known as "distiller’s grain" (Ecaw), while pickled "sauces" are made with salt (cilah). However, within the Amis cuisine, these materials are used to complement food and achieve desired changes in taste while in rituals and ceremonial gathering. Using the conflict example mentioned above, this paper will first discuss the use of fermented food in Amis’ ritual activities, and then the transition from finding koji plants to environmental protection. Finally, this paper aims to show how the Amis uses koji and fermentation as the means of indigenous resistance and regaining food sovereignty in contemporary Taiwan.