Kocuria varians
Also known as Micrococcus varians
A nitrate-reducing bacterium, formerly called Micrococcus varians, used with the staphylococci in curing starters to set colour and develop flavour, especially in nitrate-based cures.
Kocuria varians, long known as Micrococcus varians, is one of the colour-and-flavour organisms of a curing starter. Its useful trick is reducing nitrate to nitrite, the step that develops and fixes the stable cured pink, which matters most in traditional recipes built on nitrate rather than added nitrite.
It works alongside the coagulase-negative staphylococci and to the same end, and belongs with them under Microbial Control as one of the slow, aromatic crew rather than the fast-acidifying lactic acid bacteria.
Temple element. Pillar, Microbial Control