Food Traditions
Fermentation
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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 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 Cross-Tradition Connections
Expressed By
Kefir, Drinks Kefir is a fermented milk drink made with a living bacteria and yeast culture.
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.
Palm Wine, Drinks Palm sap ferments naturally through wild yeast within hours of tapping.
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Fermented Beverages of Pre- and Proto-historic China (PNAS)
On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen
Harold McGee, Scribner, 2004
On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen
Harold McGee, Scribner, 2004technique discussion: fermentation
On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen
Harold McGee, Scribner, 2004Expressed By: Coq au Vin, ch. on wine, beer and spirits
The Oxford Companion to Food
Alan Davidson, Oxford University Press, 2014Expressed By: Injera
The Oxford Companion to Food
Alan Davidson, Oxford University Press, 2014Expressed By: Lassi
The Oxford Companion to Food
Alan Davidson, Oxford University Press, 2014Expressed By: Soybean
The Oxford Companion to Food
Alan Davidson, Oxford University Press, 2014Expressed 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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