Abstract:To investigate the effects of fermentation strains and koji-making methods on broad bean koji production, Aspergillus oryzae strains PNM003 and HUNIANG 3.042 were applied in disc koji-making and traditional open koji-making systems. Changes in substrate temperature, microbial populations, enzymatic activities, physicochemical properties, free amino acid composition, and volatile flavor compounds were systematically analyzed during the koji-making process. The results demonstrated that disc koji-making maintained more stable substrate temperatures (30.8~34.4 ℃), increased mold counts by 11.52%~26.27%, and significantly enhanced protease (16.40~406.79 U•g-1) and amylase activities (1 500.06~2 062.38 U•g-1) compared with open koji-making, indicating superior enzymatic performance. Amongn the tested strains, PNM003-fermented broad bean koji exhibited the highest microbial abundance and enzymatic activities. Moreover, the broad bean koji prepared with A. oryzae PNM003 under disc koji-making conditions showed significantly lower total acidity (1.00 g/100 g) than that produced by open koji-making, along with improved visual appearance and a more favorable free amino acid taste profile. Volatile compound analysis revealed that PNM003 generated a richer and more diverse aroma profile than HUNIANG 3.042. Disc-koji-making further increased flavor diversity and reduced the proportion of musty compounds to 0.38%~2.97%. These findings indicate that disc koji-making significantly enhances the quality of broad bean koji, particularly when using the A. oryzae PNM003 strain, providing a scientific basis for optimizing Doubanjiang (broad bean paste) fermentation processes and improving product quality.