Yuki Tanaka

Food scientist with a PhD from Kyoto University who spent 5 years in Kikkoman's R&D lab studying the microbiology of soy sauce fermentation before realizing she'd rather write about food than optimize it for manufacturing. Now runs a test kitchen in Osaka where she experiments with fermentation projects — miso aged for 3 years, black garlic made from 47 different cultivars, a sourdough starter she's kept alive since grad school. Writes about the science behind cooking, why traditional food preservation is more sophisticated than most modern food tech, and what your gut microbiome actually does with what you eat. Her explanation of the Maillard reaction is the most-saved post on three different cooking subreddits.