Initially described as Saccharomyces rouxii by Boutroux in 1883, it was then moved to the genus Zygosaccharomyces in the work of Barnett et al.[1] It is remarkably tolerant of high concentrations of sugar or salt, making it a spoilage agent of otherwise stable foods, but also present in fermentation of products such as soy sauce or balsamic vinegar.

[5] Two collaborators of Louis Pasteur are the origin of the discovery of this new yeast: it was isolated by Émile Roux from fermenting fruit juice and was described as Saccharomyces rouxi by Léon Boutroux in 1883.

[6] In food, this yeast is used in the fermentation of soybeans during the manufacture of soy sauce and miso where it plays an important role in the development of aromas.

[8] Miso is obtained from a cereal koji seeded with a mold (Aspergillus oryzae) which is then salted and fermented by lactic acid bacteria.

[N 2] Z. rouxii can cause spoilage of certain high-sugar and high-salt foods such as condensed milk, fruit juices, jam, pastries and salad dressings.