Fortified Jiuqu of the Chinese Baijiu: A review on its functional microorganisms, strengthening effects, current challenges, and perspectives

Jiuqu, a saccharification and fermentation agent used in the production of baijiu, is rich in enzymes, microorganisms, and organisms that have essential effects on the flavor quality of baijiu. However, traditional Jiuqu has some deficiencies in quality or may require enhancement of specific functions at times. To address this, fortified Jiuqu has been developed and applied to enhance performance and improve baijiu quality. This review focused on the functional microorganisms and strengthening effects of fortified Jiuqu. Moreover, this review also discussed the limitations of current Jiuqu preparation and fortification and explored the roles of the core functional microbes and the synthetic microflora for fortified Jiuqu, which could improve the cleanliness, controllability, and food safety of Jiuqu production.