The use of microorganisms, yeasts, bacteria or molds, to transform a food or drink, converting sugars into alcohol, acid or gas, and in the process preserving it, changing its texture, and developing flavors the raw ingredient never had on its own. It is one of humanity's oldest and most geographically universal food technologies, underlying wine and beer among this atlas's founding drinks, and, elsewhere in world cuisine, bread leavening, cheese, yogurt, soy sauce, miso and pickled vegetables of every kind.
Facts
Origin Period, From (Year) Origin Period, To (Year) Origin RegionNo single point of origin. Independently developed by Neolithic societies across the ancient world; the earliest chemically confirmed instance is a mixed fermented beverage of rice, honey and fruit from pottery jars at Jiahu in Henan province, China. 1 Fermentation
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Connections
Expressed By
Beer, Drinks Source On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the KitchenHarold McGee
Source On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the KitchenHarold McGee
Injera, Dishes Source The Oxford Companion to FoodAlan Davidson
Kefir, Drinks Kefir is a fermented milk drink made with a living bacteria and yeast culture.
Source Kefir (Wikipedia)
Kimchi, Dishes Source On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the KitchenHarold McGee
Source The Oxford Companion to FoodAlan Davidson
Kvass, Drinks Kvass is a fermented, not distilled, grain-based beverage, directly continuous with the Fermentation tradition already covering Beer, Wine, Sake and Kimchi on this atlas.
Source Kvass (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Lassi, Drinks Source The Oxford Companion to FoodAlan Davidson
Source On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the KitchenHarold McGee
Palm Wine, Drinks Palm sap ferments naturally through wild yeast within hours of tapping.
Source Palm Wine (Wikipedia)
Source Exploring the History of Russian Cuisine (Russia Beyond)Maxim Syrnikov
Sake, Drinks Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
Source The Oxford Companion to FoodAlan Davidson
Wine, Drinks Source On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the KitchenHarold McGee
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Fermented Beverages of Pre- and Proto-historic China (PNAS)
2. The Earliest Alcoholic Beverage in the World (Penn Museum)
Opening paragraph, under heading "The Earliest Alcoholic Beverage in the World"Quote, Opening paragraph, under heading "The Earliest Alcoholic Beverage in the World"
The residues of the beverage, dated ca. 7000-6600 BCE, were recovered from early pottery from Jiahu
View the Source On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen
Harold McGee, Scribner, 2004- technique discussion: fermentation
- Expressed By: Wine
- Expressed By: Beer
- Expressed By: Coq au Vin, ch. on wine, beer and spirits
- Expressed By: Kimchi
- Expressed By: Mongolian Cuisine
The Oxford Companion to Food
Alan Davidson, Oxford University Press, 2014- Expressed By: Injera
- Expressed By: Lassi
- Expressed By: Soybean
- Expressed By: Korean Cuisine, entry: Korea
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Larousse Gastronomique
Hamlyn, 2009Expressed By: Pulque
Kvass (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Exploring the History of Russian Cuisine (Russia Beyond)
Maxim Syrnikov, Russia Beyond, 2013Expressed By: Russian CuisineView the Source Kefir (Wikipedia)
Palm Wine (Wikipedia)
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