Flavours & fragrances
when the French chemist Louis Pasteur connected yeast to the process, and even then, it wasn’t considered beneficial to health until the early 1900s. With the onset of technology, these foods became less popular, until now.
As a traditional Korean dish, kimchi is quickly gaining popularity within Western food cultures.
of the brand Bibigo, one of the leaders in the globalisation of Korean food. “Fermentation is a crucial process in traditional Korean food culture. Kimchi and other fermented foods were developed as a way to preserve vegetables during cold winters.”
“Kimchi is known as a functional food that exhibits various health benefits through its main ingredients of vegetables, various seasonings and the fermented by-products generated during the fermentation process, [such as] lactic acid bacteria.”
Michelle Lim 139% Ocado 58
Through an anaerobic process – where microorganisms such as yeast and bacteria break down food components, for example, sugar, into other products like alcohol, acid or gas – fermentation creates a unique taste that is becoming increasingly popular with consumers across the world. There are countless different types of fermented foods, including yoghurt, kefir, wine, beer, miso, kimchi, sauerkraut and kombucha, to name just a few. While many of these raw foods are nutritious in their own right, by undergoing the fermentation process they have the potential to carry addition benefits, such as reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and inflammation. With consumers looking for healthy food that packs a punch, fermented food appears to have a lot to offer.
Percentage increase in online searches for fermented foods in the first two weeks of 2023.
Preservation with a punch Fermented foods have developed significantly over the years, particularly as preservation is no longer the main concern for the average fridge-owning consumer. Traditionally, fermented foods were made in natural environments and there wasn’t really an exact science to it – at least, not until the mid-1800s
“The older fermented foods fell behind with industrialisation and modern times, as it [became] easier to preserve with fridges or pump them full of chemicals” explains Rusu. “If you look at some of the products that you can find in the supermarkets, they can stay surprisingly unchanged for months, which is very unnatural.” Kefir, Rusu goes on to say, is one such product that has its roots in traditional fermentation. Milk was originally kept in goatskin bags hanging in doorways, where people passing by would nudge it to encourage the milk and kefir grains to mix well and preserve it. With the development of the fermentation industry, however, it has “progressed through scientific analysis and data from various research institutions and private research institutes, both domestically and internationally,” Lim points out. “Fermentation microbial preservation businesses are being conducted by analysing the characteristics of microorganisms used in fermentation, and technologies are being developed to control the environment that may occur during the fermentation process so that global consumers can enjoy the same taste at any time.”
This evolution of fermentation is made clear from Rusu’s description of Yeo Valley’s yoghurt manufacturing – which has come a long way from yoghurts and kefir being jostled in goatskin bags. “Different bacteria would [produce] different tasting yoghurts within our range, so we’re using different strains of bacteria for different products.” The controlled fermentation process can create and recreate different tastes and texture on demand, meaning the organic family farm can produce creamy Greek-style yoghurt, all the way to its natural whole milk yoghurt.
Furthermore, the Korean brand Bibigo has minimised the variation in its taste and quality through using a patented lactic acid bacteria starter and is continuously conducting research development on various fermentation control technology. “Through this technology, [Bibigo] has been able to achieve a well-ripened taste for refrigerated kimchi, and extend the shelf life of a shelf-stable kimchi by up to 12 months,” adds Lim.
Something’s a bit funky
While the industry as a whole has come a long way, Nexba’s fermented drink is still essentially the same drink that was made in the Qin Dynasty, claims Douglas. “It’s a fermented drink made with tea, sugar,
Ingredients Insight /
www.ingredients-insight.com
Photour.1904/
Shutterstock.com
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