From kimchi to kombucha, sauerkraut to sourdough, fermented foods have been around for almost as long as man.
We’ve been eating fermented food for centuries and while initially developed as a way to preserve foods, improve flavour and eliminate food toxins, people are now turning to these foods for their potential health benefits.
What are fermented foods?
Fermented foods are foods and beverages that have been subjected to controlled microbial growth and fermentation. Fermentation is an anaerobic process – this means it happens without oxygen – in which microorganisms, like yeast and bacteria, break down the components of food, such as sugars like glucose, and turn them into other products such as organic acids, gases or alcohol. These products of fermentation may then continue to further alter the composition of the original foods, and it’s these products that give fermented foods their great flavour, texture and appearance.
While a lot of the whole foods that are fermented are nutritious in their original form, for some, fermentation is absolutely necessary to make them digestible for us (try eating raw grains or flour!) and for others it gives them superpowers, especially when they contain probiotics and prebiotics, which you’ve probably heard about. (ISABEL PASCH)
To read more about the best fermented foods to add flavour to your food and goodness to your diet visit www.breadpolitics.com
Isabel Pasch is the owner of Bread & Butter Bakery & Cafe and the author of the breadpolitics.com blog.
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