In food processing, fermentation is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohol or organic acids using microorganisms—yeasts or bacteria—without an oxidizing agent being used in the reaction. Fermentat
Grapes being trodden to extract the juice and made into wine in storage jars. Tomb of Nakht, 18th dynasty, Thebes, Ancient Egypt.
Sourdough starter.
Conical loaves of bread left as grave goods, exactly as laid out in the Great Tomb at Gebelein, Egypt, 2435–2305 BC
Beer and bread, two major uses of fermentation in food
Surströmming
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Surströmming is a lightly salted, fermented Baltic Sea herring traditional to Swedish cuisine since at least the 16th century. It is distinct from fried or pickled herring.
Fermentation in food processing
…Middle East: torshi, boza Europe: sourdough bread, elderberry wine, kombucha, pickling, rakfisk, sauerkraut, pickled cucumber, surströmming, mead, kvass, salami, sucuk, prosciutto, cultured milk products such as quark, kefir, filmjölk, crème fraîche, smetana, skyr, rakı, tupí, żur. Oceania…
Opened can of surströmming in brine
A can of Surströmming, with the top noticeably bulging due to fermented gases being released
Surströmming served on tunnbröd (a Swedish flatbread) with boiled potatoes and vegetables
Oxford Symposium on Food & Cookery, 2010. Held at St Catherine's college, Oxfordshire, UK