Fermented Foods
Fermentation is an ancient form of food preservation that adds a unique flavour to a dish and keeps wastage at a minimum. Gradually, aged, cured and pickled ingredients got added to the list, some of which are quite popular in world cuisines and seen on supermarket shelves or in gourmet food stores.
Ferments In India.
Historical evidence suggests that priestly practices were common among the Aryans who produced an exhilarating drink called hoama in Iran and soma in India. The soma plant was sprinkled with water, ground between stones and placed above holes connected underground. The ground mass was then collected on a cowhide, strained through cloth of sheep wool. The sparkling liquid obtained was then mixed with milk, curds, ghee, honey or flour for consumption as desired. Soma juice while not an alcoholic drink was nevertheless intoxicating. The Rigveda mentions Sura an intoxicating liquor distilled after fermentation of barley or wild paddy. Later Vedic literature describes kilala a sweetened drink from fermented cereals, masara a filtered rice gruel liquor and parisruta fermented from flowers and grass.
According to Charaka, nine foods were subjected to fermentation such as sugar cane juice, molasses, guda or jaggery, honey, coconut water, sweet palmyra sap and mahua flowers. Some fruits mentioned were grape, mango, woodapple, date palm, ber, banana, apricot, jackfruit, rose apple or jambu, purple jamun, pomogranate, bilva, rajdana or chironji and madanphala (Mmimusops elengi) or maulsari. However, the periods of fermentation are not clear and whether the products were used as wine after distillation. (Achaya KT, Indian Food. 1994).
While the markets are flooded with various types of fermented foods it is not advisable to consume them, as they contain added chemical preservatives for longer shelf life. The healthiest option is to ferment food at home for consumption and know what goes into it. Some products in common culinary practice described briefly are :
Dahi - Curd or dahi is a staple food in every Indian household used throughout the year. It is prepared by fermenting pasteurised milk with a culture of lactic acid bacteria from a preset sample of the curd. Besides being a powerhouse of nutrients the curd has a bland but tart taste, with diverse applications in culinary practice for all seasons. It is a good source of protein, calcium and vitamins B12 and B2 or riboflavin and is rich in probiotics that aid digestion, is easily absorbed and boosts the immune system of the body. Further, individuals who are sensitive to the milk sugar lactose, can also digest dahi since this is converted to lactic acid during fermentation.
Culinary applications of curd vary in different regions of the country ranging from beverages, sweet and spiced called lassi, to complete dishes like curd rice, raitas or just ingredients for curries and snacks like tikkas, chaats and more. It is best set in earthenware pots, cooled and served as part of every meal, the term raita being used for it in the north when ingredients like fruits, vegetables, vadas, boondi or nuts are added to it and served as a dish with meals.
Curd though called by different names in the local dialects of every region is extremely versatile in its use. In Odisha, West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Bihar it is called pankhala, panta bhat or poita bhat, often prepared with flattened rice and vegetables or even sweetened with palm or sugarcane jaggery taken for breakfast. Popular desserts in which curd is used are srikhand, mishti doi and sandesh usually sweetened with date sugar or jaggery that signify the sweetness of Indian culture.
In western countries curd is called yoghurt used plain, fruity and frozen, where as in the Far East fermented soya and other products are common. Europeans showcase its versatility by using hung curd in sauces and dips, cheesecakes, pancakes and blintzes.
Fermented grains - These include staples and pulses or their mixtures depending on regional cultural and traditional culinary practices.
Idli - This is made from a fermented batter of rice and urad or black gram dal each being soaked for 4-5 hours or overnight and then ground and mixed together and kept aside for fermentation. When bubbles rise it is salted and steamed in perforated idli steamers much like those used for poaching eggs. A favourite breakfast food in south India, served with sambar a dal and vegetable tangy preparation or rasam, a dal based soup soured with tamarind and spices. A number of chutneys with or without coconut are served alongside as accompaniments.
Dosai - This is a fine crisp pancake-like preparation made from fermented mixtures of rice and pulse as for idli in different proportions, consumed plain or stuffed with vegetables or potato. If one looks at the choices on a south Indian restaurant menu in Delhi the types of dosai offered is mind boggling, and so also other fermented preparations of the different southern regions. The variety can be compared to that of staple cereals and pulses in any region of the country.
Sour dough – In the north the practice is to ferment dough using curd, or yeast cultures rested till it rises and used for providing different textures, tastes and aromas to food combinations. Some classical examples are the preparation of the traditional bread or naan for meals with or without butter, kulcha or bhatura served with chana and more. Fermented dough is also commonly used for bakery products like bread, pizza bases and so on.
Pickles - There is of course no end to pickling vegetables by fermentation and spicing in India, pickles served as an adjunct to the most simplistic meals to add nutrition, tanginess taste and variety.
Kefir - The kefir grains are boiled with milk and cultured, when the texture changes the grains are removed and the kefir is refrigerated for use much like dahi or plain yoghurt.
Sauerkraut – Chopped cabbage, salt and caraway seeds are placed in a jar to ferment for 3-10 days before use as a pickle or ingredient in salads.
Kimchi – This is the Korean version of pickled Chinese cabbage. The vegetable is chopped, fermented by the addition of salt with a little water or salted shrimp paste, covered and left for a couple of hours. The water is then drained and grated garlic, peeled and chopped ginger, granulated sugar, red pepper flakes, chopped radish and scallions mixed well and placed in a jar for about 5 days to ferment before consuming with meals as desired.
Kombucha – This is traditionally a carbonated drink with live microorganisms made by brewing together sugar, black or green tea, liquid from a previous batch and the symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (Scoby). Its popular name is ‘mother’ since it reproduces during fermentation. This is a fermented food much like yoghurt, cheese, kefir, kimchi and sauerkraut. Kombucha is often referred to as ‘the tea of immortality’ and promoted for improving digestion and diabetes, strengthening the immune system, reducing blood pressure and detoxifying the body. It is also claimed to help rheumatism, gout, haemorrhoids, nervousness, liver function and fight cancer.
According to Howard Telford, head of soft-drinks global market research provider, there seems to be a ‘health halo’ around kombucha. Advertised as a probiotic, the drink taps into interest in the microbiome, and how our diets can affect the microbial communities in our gut and even our emotions. Eating probiotics is thought to increase the ‘good’ bacteria in the gut.
One study looked at its health benefits in humans, in which 24 adults with non insulin dependent diabetes, consumed kombucha for 3 months. Their mean blood sugar levels reportedly stabilised to within normal ranges. But, this study was not controlled or randomised and many other claims like benefits involving rheumatism, gout, haemorrhoids and nervousness were based on anecdotal and unverified findings.
All kombucha contains some ethanol varying with the duration of the fermentation, so some brands would have similarities to an alcoholic drink, and therefore it is advised to drink in moderation. The shifting levels of alcohol in kombucha can be a problem for pregnant women, children and individuals with liver disease or pancreatitis.
Cider - Ripe apples are smashed with a rolling pin and the juice drained into a container using a fine cheese cloth. Dry or liquid brewing yeast is then added to the juice and left to ferment.
Axone, Miso and Nato – Nagaland is home to warrior tribes and practices like fermentation started as a way of sustenance during dry spells. Axone is fermented soy bean a Naga staple, its quality characterised by froth on top, sticky consistency and a pungent smell. Other fermented soya foods are miso and nato.
Kanji – A popular seasonal fermented beverage made from dark purple carrots and beetroot in the Punjab and north India in general. The beverage is fermented by placing peeled carrots, beetroot, rye seeds and salt in a jar and left in the sun for fermentation, till a favourite naturally sweet and tangy beverage develops. It is rich in flavonoids, carotene, and micronutrients especially good for eyes, boosting immunity and general health while being a nonalcoholic culinary delight.
Cheese - Cheeses prepared from different bacterial and other cultures are old favourites. But according to nutritionist Marie-Caroline Mishalski, research director at the French National research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment, harder cheeses like cheddar and parmesan are good fermented products.
In the process of fermentation bacteria and yeast breakdown the carbs, giving the product a slightly sour tart flavour as with dahi, lassi and pickled veggies. In fact the idli is the result of fermentation and so also the popular jalebi, although yoghurts are now popular and commonly available in packaged forms.
Culinary trends since 2021 are due to the increasing focus on healthy immunity boosting foods like sour dough bread, yoghurt, cider, kimchi salad and kefir due to their many benefits. With conscious eating gaining ground during the pandemic, and to reduce food waste and consume healthy food, the popularity of fermented foods that have probiotics increased.
Benefits of fermented food
Boosts immunity levels
Lowers risk of heart ailments
Good for weight loss
Probiotics, the byproduct of fermentation improve digestion
Counteract mood swings by maintaining good gut health.
Storing fermented foods
Vegetables can be stored up to a year without spoilage, although kimchi can last only 3-5 days. Fruits last from weeks to a month while dairy products should be consumed quickly. Chutneys, sauces and salsas can be stored for up to 3 months in a refrigerator and 6 months in a freezer. All fermented food should be kept in a refrigerator in airtight containers.
The Asian Palmyra palm (Borassus flabellifer) is commonly known a doub palm, palmyra palm, tala or tal palm, toddy palm, lontar palm or wine palm. The sap from the tree can also be fermented into a toddy or wine which is boiled down to make sugar blocks known as palm jaggery. Palm wine is a sweet, milky, effervescent alcoholic beverage and contains amino acids, proteins, vitamins and sugars. (wikipedia 12 Jan 2024).
Bottle fermented cocktails too, are now trendy in bars, in which bartenders add yeast to mixed cocktails, bottle them and let them ferment. Beer and wines have been old favourites worldwide.
All fermented foods thus, irrespective of being nonalcoholic are endowed with a greater shelf-life, additional nutrients and impart different textures and flavours to foods adding variety to meals.
It is impossible to get all the world’s fermented foods without going to the history of different cultures. So I leave it to the readers to enrich us from different regions with their historical research and ancestral experiences to add more foods and communicate with the author for an enriching experience.