Fermentation is one of the most beneficial food
transformations, according to author Michael Pollan. "Fermentation is made
with earth bacteria," Michael explains, "and it's everything from
sauerkraut to kimchi to pickles." Continue reading to learn more about the
health benefits of fermented foods and to find recipes for fermenting foods at
home.
Fermented food is any food that has gone through the
fermentation process”any metabolic process in which the activity of
microorganisms causes a desirable change in food and beverages.
Fermentation can improve the flavor of food, increase its
shelf life, and provide health benefits. Fermented foods contain prebiotics and
probiotics that help restore the microbiota in the gut, potentially improving
digestion, reducing bloating, and lowering the risk of obesity.
Potential Health Benefits of Fermented Foods
Some fermented foods are high in probiotics, which are
beneficial microorganisms that aid in the maintenance of a healthy gut and
allow you to extract nutrients from food. The following are some potential
health benefits of fermented foods:
1. Probiotics are beneficial to the immune system. Probiotic
foods create an acidic environment unsuitable for pathogens by producing
antibiotic, anti-tumor, anti-viral, and antifungal gut bacteria. The term
"probiotic" literally means "good bacteria."
2. Fermentation boosts the amount of vitamins and minerals
in food. Fermentation can boost the levels of vitamin C and B vitamins in foods
(such as folic acid, riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, and biotin). Probiotics,
enzymes, and lactic acid found in fermented foods may also aid in the
absorption of vitamins and minerals.
3. Fermented foods can help your heart. Fermented foods
contain prebiotics and probiotics, which can help lower cholesterol and blood
pressure and lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.
How Does Fermented Food Taste?
Fermented foods have a wide range of flavors due to
differences in raw ingredients and the microorganisms present. Lactic acid
bacteria cause many fermented foods to taste acidic. Fermented foods may have a
strong odor, a bubbly mouthfeel, or a high umami content. Some consider these
foods to be an acquired taste.
10 Examples of Fermented Foods
Continue reading to learn about some of the world's most popular fermented foods:
1. Kefir
Kefir is a dairy product that is fermented by combining milk
with kefir grains, yeast, and bacteria. The fermented beverage that results is
a thick, tangy concoction full of live microorganisms that promote digestive
health. Kefir can be consumed on its own or blended into a superfood smoothie.
2. Kimchi
Kimchi (also known as "kimchee") is a traditional
Korean dish. "This food comes from a region of the world with four very
extreme seasons," Chef Roy Choi explains. "So you take the harvest
and ferment it, and the fermentation process allows you to eat it all
winter."
The most well-known kimchi is made with napa cabbage layered
with salt, red chili pepper, and aromatics. "But kimchi isn't napa
cabbage," Roy points out. "Kimchi is a broad term that refers to kimchi-fying
whatever you're going to kimchi. So kimchi is practically a verb." Roy
likes to make an all-purpose kimchi paste that he can use to ferment different
fermented vegetables like radishes and cucumbers because the flavor base for
different types of kimchi is usually the same.
3. Kombucha
Kombucha is a fermented green or black tea beverage that is
thought to have originated in China and spread through Russia, Eastern Europe,
Japan, and Korea at least a few hundred years ago. To make kombucha, mix room
temperature brewed tea with a SCOBY (a symbiotic community of bacteria and
yeast) and leave it to ferment until fizzy and slightly alcoholic. Because of
the acetic acid fermentation process, kombucha will turn into vinegar if left
out for an extended period of time.
4. Miso
Miso is a Japanese fermented soybean paste made by combining
soybeans, salt, and a fungus known as koji (Aspergillus oryzae). Miso paste
comes in a variety of flavors. Saikyo miso from Kyoto is the lightest.
"You might recognize that miso as the one used to marinate black cod in
many Japanese restaurants." And then it's really lovely. It's insane. It
becomes sweet after cooking. "It caramelizes,"
5. NattÅ
Japanese natt is made from fermented soybeans with the
bacteria Bacillus subtilis var. Natt. This traditional Japanese ingredient has
a gelatinous, sticky texture similar to okra and a pungent, nutty aroma similar
to aged cheese.
6. Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut is made from finely shredded raw cabbage that has
been fermented by lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus), which gives it its
distinct sour flavor. "I think cabbage is one of the most underappreciated
ingredients in the world," Chef Dominique Crenn says. "Do you know
why I like cabbage?" Because it's a common ingredient in Brittany, where I
grew up."
"Sauerkraut, choucroute in French, is fermenting
cabbage for about two weeks with just salt." It's very simple. The
process... is known as lacto-fermentation, and it uses a salt base and only the
product." It will create an environment in which mold cannot grow."
In her recipe for roasted cabbage with sauerkraut, Chef Crenn walks you through
the steps.
7. Sourdough
Sourdough bread is made with a sourdough starter, which is a
mixture of flour, water, and wild yeast. "People think of sourdough as a
type of bread, but sourdough is the rising agent," says a third-generation
sourdough baker.
When left at room temperature, the starter begins to
ferment, promoting the growth of lactic acid bacteria. Microbes consume the
starch in the flour and produce carbon dioxide, resulting in gas bubbles in the
starter, which gives sourdough bread its signature open crumb and tangy flavor.
8. Soy Sauce
Soy sauce is a naturally fermented liquid byproduct of
soybean and wheat paste. Its warm, inky brown color is primarily due to the
sugar released during the fermentation process, which is an example of the
Maillard reaction, which occurs when sugar and amino acids are exposed to high
heat. In Japan, there are two kinds of soy sauce: dark and light.
"The light one, despite its name, is actually a bit
saltier in a sense because the color depth that you see in regular soy sauce is
the result of a longer fermentation process for the soy, which develops more of
that deep umami flavor. So the light one is used more for kaiseki cooking and
in foods where you don't want the color of the soy to penetrate into the
food." As a result, it's more for show."
9. Tempeh
Tempeh is a compressed cake made from fermented, whole
soybeans, as well as grains such as brown rice and legumes such as chickpeas
and lentils. Tempeh is a high-protein, cholesterol-free plant protein that is
high in vitamins and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium. This
meat substitute is typically gluten-free, but some blends may contain grains
such as barley.
10. Yogurt
Yogurt is made from fermented milk. Heat milk and combine it
with two live cultures”Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus
thermophilus”to make it. Warm milk provides an ideal environment for bacteria
to grow, thickening the milk to produce yogurt. You can buy yogurt at the
grocery store, but making your own homemade yogurt is a great way to get
started with fermentation. Alternatively, Madhur Jaffrey's cucumber raita
recipe or Yotam Ottolenghi's pasta with yogurt sauce recipe can be used to
transform store-bought yogurt.
Do Probiotics Exist in All Fermented Foods?
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that form as a result of
microbial growth and fermentation. However, probiotics are not present in all
fermented foods. In some fermentation processes, the probiotics are removed or
killed. This is true for beer, wine, and the majority of canned and baked
goods. Yogurt, kefir, and apple cider vinegar are some common foods that
contain live probiotics.
