Abstract
Boza is a popular cereal-based traditional beverage particularly consumed during winter months in Balkan countries and Turkic societies. The present study aims to investigate the influence of different cereal sources and starter cultures used in the commercial production of boza on its chemical and microbiota compositions and physicochemical characteristics. Detailed experimentation has revealed that chemical compositions, i.e. carbohydrates (beta-glucans, starches), organic acids, vitamins, dietary fibers, proteins, fat, and minerals, along with physicochemical characteristics, are subject to significant differentiation depending upon the cereal types and microbial consortia of the starter culture used in boza production. These variations also influence the physicochemical characteristics and the nutritive value of the final product. In the course of the study, various lactic acid bacteria [ Lactococcus lactis , leuconostocs ( Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides, Lc. lactis, Lc. citreum ), Lactobacillus spp. ( L. plantarum, L. paracasei, L. brevis, L. delbrueckii subsp. delbrueckii )] and yeasts ( Pichia fermentans, Candida colliculosa, Geotrichum sp., and Galactomyces geotrichum ) were identified as the members of the microbial community in three boza samples. Results of the present study open a new research line for better understanding of the contribution of the cereal source and microbiota composition of boza beverage to its nutritive value as well as biological effects on human health.
Highlights
IntroductionBoza is a popular traditional beverage among the Turkic and Balkan societies
Among fermented health products, boza is a popular traditional beverage among the Turkic and Balkan societies
Boza is a popular traditional beverage among the Turkic and Balkan societies. It is produced by the fermentation of various cereals such as wheat, oat, barley, maize, rice semolina, and/or millet or their combinations with mixed cultures of yeasts and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) (Arıcı and Dağlıoğlu, 2002)
Summary
Boza is a popular traditional beverage among the Turkic and Balkan societies. It is produced by the fermentation of various cereals such as wheat, oat, barley, maize, rice semolina, and/or millet or their combinations with mixed cultures of yeasts and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) (Arıcı and Dağlıoğlu, 2002). The microbiota composition of boza production has been reported by several studies (Gotcheva et al, 2001; Kıvanç et al, 2011). The effect of fermentation on the viscosity and protein solubility in boza was studied by Hayta et al (2001) and they hypothesized that during the heating process the starch content of cereals undergoes gelatinization by the swelling of starch granules and viscosity increases through leaching of amylose. A significant increase in resistant starch content was reported by Quintieri et al (2012)
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