Investigating the microbial terroir of fermented foods produced in a professional kitchen

Abstract

The distinct microbial diversity present in fermented foods influencing flavor profile is now commonly referred to as microbial terroir. Understanding how microbial communities develop in fermented food is important because it can explain how different flavor profiles develop and how community stability leads to food preservation. Using a common DNA-sequencing approach to characterize the microbial communities that developed in eight fermented food products, we show that fermentation is primarily influenced by the main ingredient being cooked. Moreover, we found that each fermented food group harbored microbial communities similar to those previously described in traditional cooking styles. Thus, our study not only provides methodologies to characterize the microbial terroir signature of fermented foods in a professional kitchen but also enables us to understand further the value of local fermented food in our culinary journey.