Ethnic fermented foods of the world: an overview

Abstract The origins of traditional fermented foods and the types and characteristics of fermented foods by region are reviewed. Fermented foods are classified into alcohol fermentation, acid fermentation, carbon dioxide (bread) fermentation, and amino acid/peptide fermentation, and related fermentation technologies for each region are introduced. The raw materials, microorganisms involved, and usage of ethnic fermented foods are reviewed and compared one another. The beginning of food fermentation technology is related to the invention and use of earthenware, and Northeast Asia is presumed to be one of the birth places. During the period of primitive pottery culture (8000–3000 BCE) on the Korean Peninsula and the coastal region of Korea Strait, boiling technology of food materials using pottery and salt manufacturing technology from seawater were developed, and at the same time, alcohol fermentation using grains and salt-fermentation of fish and vegetables emerged. In the West, where people were nomads, a roasting/grilling culture was continued for a long time, and technologies for fermenting fruit wine and milk products such as cheese and yogurt were developed. As a result, fermentation was mainly used for enhancing the taste of plant foods in the East, while for extending the shelf life of animal foods in the West. The production of salty and meaty flavors from soybeans and marine products by fermentation in East Asia is a technology that increases the value of low-quality proteins.