Food and Drink Atlas

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Food Tradition

Fermentation

Food Production and Processing Traditions

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)
from 7000 BCE 1
Origin Period, To (Year)
to 6600 BCE 2
Origin Region
No 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
Filter Results1 entry
Connections

Expressed By

Amazake, Drinks
Appam, Dishes
Source Appam (Wikipedia)
Attieke, Dishes
Source Acheke (Attieke) (Wikipedia)
Beer, Drinks
Source On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the KitchenHarold McGee
Blini, Dishes
Boza, Drinks
Brem, Dishes
Source Brem (Wikipedia)
Source Buttermilk koldskål (Wikipedia)
Cabbage, Ingredients
Chicha, Drinks
Chikwangue, Dishes
Source Chikwangue (Wikipedia)
Chorizo, Ingredients
Cider, Drinks
Cold beet soup, Dishes
Source Cold beet soup (Wikipedia)
Coq au Vin, Dishes
Source On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the KitchenHarold McGee
Dhokla, Dishes
Source Dhokla, Wikipedia
Douchi, Ingredients
Garum, Ingredients
Ginger Beer, Drinks
Gochujang, Ingredients
Hákarl, Dishes
Source Hákarl (Wikipedia)
Idli, Dishes
Source Idli (Wikipedia)
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)
Kefir, Ingredients
Kenkey, Dishes
Source Kenkey (Wikipedia)
Khanom chin, Dishes
Source Khanom chin (Wikipedia)
Kimchi, Dishes
Source On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the KitchenHarold McGee
Kombucha, Drinks
Source The Oxford Companion to FoodAlan Davidson
Kumis, Drinks
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)
Labneh, Ingredients
Lahpet, Dishes
Source Lahpet, Wikipedia
Lakerda, Dishes
Source Lakerda (Wikipedia)
Lassi, Drinks
Source The Oxford Companion to FoodAlan Davidson
Mead, Drinks
Mishti Doi, Dishes
Source Mishti doi (Wikipedia)
Miso Soup, Dishes
Source On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the KitchenHarold McGee
Num banhchok, Dishes
Source Num banhchok (Wikipedia)
Ogi (food), Dishes
Source Ogi (food) (Wikipedia)
Palm Wine, Drinks

Palm sap ferments naturally through wild yeast within hours of tapping.

Source Palm Wine (Wikipedia)
Panta Bhat, Dishes
Source Panta bhat, Wikipedia
Pulque, Drinks
Source Larousse Gastronomique
Quark, Ingredients
Source Exploring the History of Russian Cuisine (Russia Beyond)Maxim Syrnikov
Sake, Drinks
Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
Salami, Ingredients
Saltibarsciai, Dishes
Source Saltibarsciai (Wikipedia)
Sauerkraut, Dishes
Source Sauerkraut - Wikipedia
Skyr, Ingredients
Source Sour cereal soup, Wikipedia
Soy Sauce, Ingredients
Soybean, Ingredients
Source The Oxford Companion to FoodAlan Davidson
Surstromming, Dishes
Source Surstromming - Wikipedia
Tamari, Ingredients
Tempeh, Ingredients
Tepache, Drinks
Toddy, Drinks
Source Whole sour cabbage (Wikipedia)
Wine, Drinks
Source On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the KitchenHarold McGee
Yogurt, Ingredients
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Fermented Beverages of Pre- and Proto-historic China (PNAS)
Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesView the Source
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
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.Expressed By: SakeView the Source
Larousse Gastronomique
Hamlyn, 2009Expressed By: Pulque
Kvass (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Encyclopaedia BritannicaExpressed By: KvassView the Source
Exploring the History of Russian Cuisine (Russia Beyond)
Maxim Syrnikov, Russia Beyond, 2013Expressed By: Russian CuisineView the Source
Kefir (Wikipedia)
WikipediaExpressed By: KefirView the Source
Palm Wine (Wikipedia)
WikipediaExpressed By: Palm WineView the Source
Saltibarsciai (Wikipedia)
Expressed By: Saltibarsciai, Wikipedia category: Category:Fermented dairy productsView the Source
Idli (Wikipedia)
WikipediaExpressed By: Idli, Wikipedia category: Category:Fermented foodsView the Source
Dhokla, Wikipedia
Expressed By: Dhokla, Wikipedia category: Category:Fermented foodsView the Source
Kenkey (Wikipedia)
Expressed By: Kenkey, Wikipedia category: Category:Fermented foodsView the Source
Surstromming - Wikipedia
Expressed By: Surstromming, Wikipedia category: Category:Fermented fishView the Source
Sauerkraut - Wikipedia
Expressed By: Sauerkraut, Wikipedia category: Category:Plant-based fermented foodsView the Source
Khanom chin (Wikipedia)
Expressed By: Khanom chin, Wikipedia category: Category:Fermented foodsView the Source
Lakerda (Wikipedia)
Expressed By: Lakerda, Wikipedia category: Category:Fermented fishView the Source
Appam (Wikipedia)
Expressed By: Appam, Wikipedia category: Category:Fermented foodsView the Source
Hákarl (Wikipedia)
Expressed By: Hákarl, Wikipedia category: Category:Fermented fishView the Source
Cold beet soup (Wikipedia)
Expressed By: Cold beet soup, Wikipedia category: Category:Fermented dairy productsView the Source
Buttermilk koldskål (Wikipedia)
Expressed By: Buttermilk koldskål, Wikipedia category: Category:Fermented dairy productsView the Source
Ogi (food) (Wikipedia)
Expressed By: Ogi (food), Wikipedia category: Category:Fermented foodsView the Source
Brem (Wikipedia)
Expressed By: Brem, Wikipedia category: Category:Fermented foodsView the Source
Mishti doi (Wikipedia)
Expressed By: Mishti Doi, lead paragraph
Quote, Expressed By: Mishti Doi, lead paragraph
Sweet curd) is a fermented sweet doi (curd) originating from the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent.
View the Source
Num banhchok (Wikipedia)
Expressed By: Num banhchok, lead paragraph
Quote, Expressed By: Num banhchok, lead paragraph
Num banhchok (Khmer: នំបញ្ចុក, num bânhchŏk Khmer pronunciation: [nom ɓaɲcok]) are lightly fermented Cambodian rice noodles and a breakfast noodle dish. banhchok "បញ្ចុក" translates to "to feed" in Khmer language.
View the Source
Whole sour cabbage (Wikipedia)
Expressed By: Whole Sour Cabbage, lead paragraph
Quote, Expressed By: Whole Sour Cabbage, lead paragraph
Whole sour cabbage is a fermented vegetable food preserve, popular in Eastern European and Balkan cuisines.
View the Source
Panta bhat, Wikipedia
Expressed By: Panta Bhat, lead paragraph
Quote, Expressed By: Panta Bhat, lead paragraph
Panta bhat or poita bhat (Bengali: পান্তা ভাত pàntà bhàt; Assamese: পঁইতা ভাত poĩta bhat or পন্তা ভাত ponta bhat) consists of cooked rice soaked and fermented in water.
View the Source
Chikwangue (Wikipedia)
Expressed By: Chikwangue, lead paragraph
Quote, Expressed By: Chikwangue, lead paragraph
Chikwangue, also known in Cameroon as bobolo and in the Congo River basin language of Lingala as kwanga, is a starchy, fermented-cassava product that is a staple food across Central Africa: the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Republic of Congo (RotC), Gabon, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea.
View the Source
Lahpet, Wikipedia
Expressed By: Lahpet, lead paragraph
Quote, Expressed By: Lahpet, lead paragraph
Lahpet, also spelled laphek, laphet, l'phak, leppek, le'pek, or lek-pek in English (Burmese: လက်ဖက်, MLCTS: lak hpak, pronounced [ləpʰɛʔ]), is Burmese for fermented or pickled tea.
View the Source
Acheke (Attieke) (Wikipedia)
WikipediaExpressed By: Attieke, lead paragraph
Quote, Expressed By: Attieke, lead paragraph
The dish is prepared from fermented cassava pulp that has been grated or granulated.
View the Source
Sour cereal soup, Wikipedia
Expressed By: Sour Cereal Soup, lead paragraph
Quote, Expressed By: Sour Cereal Soup, lead paragraph
Sour cereal soup is a Slavic traditional soup made with various types of cereals such as rye, wheat and oats, which are fermented to create a sourdough-like soup base and stirred into a pot of stock which may contain meat such as boiled sausage and bacon, along with other ingredients such as hard-boiled eggs, potatoes and dried mushrooms.
View the Source
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