This is a list of fermented foods, which are foods produced or preserved by the action of microorganisms. In this context, fermentation typically refers to the fermentation of sugar to alcohol using yeast, but other fermentation processes involve the use of bacteria such as lactobacillus, including the making of foods such as yogurt and sauerkraut. Many fermented foods are mass-produced using industrial fermentation processes. The science of fermentation is known as zymology.
Many pickled or soured foods are fermented as part of the pickling or souring process, but many are simply processed with brine, vinegar, or another acid such as lemon juice.
__TOC__
Fermented foods
Fermented beans and seeds
Name Image Regional or Ethnic Origin DescriptionContinent (or comparable)Country or Ethnicity Cocoa North America Mesoamerica Cocoa bean fermentation for chocolate, and other cocoa products. Cheonggukjang AsiaKorea A fermented soybean paste used in Korean cuisine that contains both whole and ground soybeans. Doenjang AsiaKorea A thick bean paste that includes fermentation in its preparation. Doubanjiang AsiaChina A spicy, salty paste made from fermented broad beans, soybeans, salt, rice, and various spices. Douchi AsiaChina A type of fermented and salted black soybean. Douzhi AsiaBeijing This is a fermented dish from Beijing cuisine. It is similar to soy milk, but made from mung beans. It is a by-product of cellophane noodle production. It is generally slightly sour, with an egg-like smell. (Pictured in bowl at bottom left.) Fermented bean curd AsiaChina Fermented tofu. Fermented bean paste AsiaEast and Southeast Asia A category of fermented foods typically made from ground soybeans, which are indigenous to the cuisines of East and Southeast Asia. In some cases, such as in the production of miso, other varieties of beans such as broad beans may also be used.The Book of Miso, 2nd ed., by Shurtleff and Aoyagi. Berkeley, California: Ten Speed Press (1985) lulu jardin AsiaChina A type of fermented bean curd. Miso AsiaJapan A bean paste that includes fermentation in its preparation. Nattō AsiaJapan Nattō ( or ) is a traditional Japanese food made from soybeans fermented with Bacillus subtilis var. natto. Some eat it as a breakfast food. It is served with soy sauce, karashi mustard and Japanese bunching onion. Nattō may be an acquired taste because of its powerful smell, strong flavor, and slimy texture. In Japan, nattō is most popular in the eastern regions, including Kantō, Tōhoku, and Hokkaido. Felij AfricaWest Africa A flavoring made of fermented oil seeds, such as sesame seeds or egusi seeds. The process and product are similar to iru or douchi. Its smell is like cheese, miso, or stinky tofu. Oncom AsiaWest Java, Indonesia A traditional staple food closely related to tempeh, usually made from various byproducts of other foods such as tofu. Red and black oncom are made using different varieties of mold. Pon ye gyi AsiaMyanmar (Burma) A fermented bean paste commonly used as a condiment or marinade, traditionally made from horse gram beans, alongside other beans. Ssamjang AsiaKorea A thick, spicy paste used with food wrapped in a leaf in Korean cuisine. The sauce is made of fermented soy beans (doenjang), red chili paste (gochujang), sesame oil, onion, garlic, green onions, and optionally brown sugar. Stinky tofu (chòu dòufu) AsiaChina, Hong Kong, Taiwan A variety of fermented tofu. Tempeh AsiaIndonesia A traditional soy product originally from Indonesia that is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form. Tianmianjiang AsiaChina A thick, smooth, dark brown or black paste with either a mild, savory or sweet flavor, also known as sweet bean sauce, sweet flour sauce or sweet wheat paste. Peking duck and jajangmyeon (black bean noodles) are two popular dishes that feature the sauce. Tương AsiaVietnam Originally, the term tương referred to a salty paste made from fermented soybeans. The word tương can also be used to refer to other condiments, such as tương cà (tomato sauce), tương xí muội (plum sauce) or tương ớt (chilli sauce). In southern Vietnam, nước tương refers to soy sauce while Northern Vietnam calls it xì dầu. Tungrymbai AsiaMeghalaya, India A fermented soybean food. Tungrymbai is usually prepared by crushing the fermented beans until it almost becomes a paste, and frying in mustard oil with onion-ginger-garlic paste, black sesame seed paste, aromatics and pork. Yellow soybean paste (huáng jiàng) AsiaNorthern China A fermented paste made from yellow soybeans, salt, and water.
Fermented cheeses
Most cheeses are fermented as part of their production.
NameImageRegional or Ethnic OriginDescription Continent (or comparable) Country or Ethnicity Ambra di Talamello EuropeItaly Blue cheese Limburger cheese EuropeBelgium Shanklish AsiaLevant Tvorog Europe Western RussiaA white cheese originating in Russia
Fermented condiments
NameImageRegional or Ethnic OriginDescription Continent (or comparable)Country or Ethnicity Bagoong Asia Philippines A Philippine condiment made of partially or completely fermented fish or shrimp and salt. The fermentation process also results in fish sauce (known as patis). Bosou Asia Sabah, Malaysia A Kadazan-Dusun condiment produced through the process of preserving either vegetables, freshwater fish, or meat mixed with salt, white rice, and pangi fruit (Pangium edule) as the main preservative. Dayok AsiaPhilippines A type of fish sauce originating from the Visayas and Mindanao islands of the Philippines made from fermented yellowfin tuna entrails. Fish sauce AsiaEast and Southeast Asia A liquid condiment made from fish or krill that have been coated in salt and fermented for up to two years. It is used as a staple seasoning in East Asian cuisine and Southeast Asian cuisine. Some garum-related fish sauces have been used in the West since the Roman times. Ganjang AsiaKorea A kind of Korean soy sauce made from fermented soybeans. Ganjang is a uniquely Korean condiment. Garum EuropeAncient Rome Garum was a fish sauce made from the fermentation of fish entrails, used as a condiment in the cuisines of ancient Greece, Rome, and Byzantium. It is believed to have resembled the fermented anchovy sauce colatura di alici still produced today in Campania, Italy. Gochujang AsiaKorea A savory, sweet, and spicy fermented condiment popular in Korean cooking. It is made from gochu-garu (chili powder), glutinous rice, meju (fermented soybean) powder, yeotgireum (barley malt powder), and salt. Iru AfricaNigeria A type of fermented and processed locust beans (Parkia biglobosa) used as a condiment in cooking, very popular among the Yoruba people and Edo people of Nigeria. Murri (condiment) Afro-EurasiaMiddle East A type of fermented condiment made with barley flour, comparable to soy sauce. Soy sauce AsiaKorea, Japan, China, Taiwan, Philippines, Indonesia Pictured is traditional Korean soy sauce. Sumbala AfricaWest Africa A fermented seed condiment, traditionally prepared from néré (Parkia biglobosa) seeds, but also from other kinds of seeds, such as those of Prosopis africana, and, nowadays, soybeans. It is comparable to miso paste. Vinegar AsiaBabylonia, Mesopotamia An aqueous solution of acetic acid and trace compounds that may include flavorings. Usually, the acetic acid is produced by a double fermentation, converting simple sugars to ethanol using yeast, and ethanol to acetic acid by acetic acid bacteria. It is now mainly used in the culinary arts as a flavorful, acidic cooking ingredient, or in pickling. Various types of vinegar are also used as condiments or garnishes, including balsamic vinegar and malt vinegar. As the most easily manufactured mild acid, it has a wide variety of industrial and domestic uses, including use as a household cleaner. Worcestershire sauce EuropeWorcestershire, England A fermented liquid condiment named after the city of Worcester in Worcestershire, England. It is frequently used to augment food and drink recipes, and used directly as a condiment on steaks, hamburgers, and other finished dishes. Yongfeng chili sauce AsiaYongfeng, Shuangfeng County, Loudi city, Hunan province, China Fermented hot sauce from Hunan.
Fermented creams and yogurts
NameImageRegional or Ethnic OriginDescription Continent (or comparable)Country or Ethnicity Amasi AfricaSouth Africa A type of fermented milk that tastes like cottage cheese or plain yogurt. Crème fraîche EuropeFrance A soured cream containing 30–45% butterfat and having a pH of around 4.5., p. 181f It is soured with bacterial culture, but is less sour than U.S.-style sour cream, and has a lower viscosity and a higher fat content. Fermented milk products WorldwideWorldwide Also known as cultured dairy foods, cultured dairy products, or cultured milk products, fermented milk products are dairy foods that have been fermented with lactic acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, and Leuconostoc. Filmjölk EuropeNordic countries A mesophilic fermented milk product that is made by fermenting cow's milk with a variety of bacteria from the species Lactococcus lactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides. Kaymak AsiaCentral Asia A fermented, creamy dairy food similar to clotted cream, made from the milk of water buffalo, cows, sheep, or goats. Matzoon EurasiaArmenia, Georgia A fermented milk product of Armenian origin. Mursik AfricaKenya A traditional fermented milk variant of the Kalenjin people of Kenya. It can be made from cow or goat milk and is fermented in a specially made calabash gourd locally known as a sotet. The gourd is lined with soot from specific trees which add flavor to the fermented milk. Skyr EuropeIceland A cultured dairy product, with the consistency of strained yogurt, but a milder flavor. Skyr can be classified as a fresh sour milk cheese (similar to curd cheese eaten in Estonia, Germany and Russia), but is consumed like a yogurt. Smetana, Smântână EuropeCentral and Eastern Europe A type of sour cream, produced by souring heavy cream. It is similar to crème fraîche. Sour cream Obtained by fermenting a regular cream with certain kinds of lactic acid bacteria. The bacterial culture, which is introduced either deliberately or naturally, sours and thickens the cream. Pictured is Smetana. Soured milk Soured milk denotes a range of food products produced by the acidification of milk. Soured milk that is produced by bacterial fermentation is more specifically called fermented milk or cultured milk. Soured milk that is produced by the addition of an acid, with or without the addition of microbial organisms, is more specifically called acidified milk. Strained yogurt Strained yogurt, Greek yogurt, yogurt cheese, sack yogurt, or kerned yogurt is yogurt that has been strained to remove most of its whey, resulting in a thicker consistency than normal unstrained yogurt, while still preserving the distinctive sour taste of yogurt. Tarhana Afro-EurasiaMiddle East, Southeast Europe A dried food ingredient, based on a fermented mixture of grain and yogurt or fermented milk. It is usually made into a thick soup with water, stock, or milk. Tarhana is very similar to some kinds of kashk. Viili Nordic countriesNordic countries A fermented milk product. Viili is similar to yoghurt or kefir, but when left unmixed, its texture is malleable, or "long". Yogurt AsiaUnknown; thought to be ancient Mesopotamia A fermented milk product produced by the bacterial fermentation of milk
Fermented grains and grain-based foods