Yeasts and Traditional Fermented Foods and Beverages

Abstract

Fermented foods and beverages are the outcomes of metabolic activity of some microorganisms among the thousands of bacteria, yeasts and moulds. Yeast is one of the first domesticated microorganisms that ferment sugars to alcohol and carbon dioxide. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida spp., Debaryomyces spp. and Hansenula anomala are the most common yeasts associated with the traditional fermentations and occur in a large number of fermented foods and beverages, prepared from raw materials of plant as well as animal origin. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the most frequently involved yeast species in alcoholic fermentation which leads to the production of ethanol. This yeast predominates in most of the traditional fermented foods and beverages such as burukutu, merissa, bhatooru, seera, chhang, fufu, tape, ogi, puto, dosa, idli, papdam, kecap, laochao, warri, etc. In these traditional foods, yeast either alone or in association with bacteria and mould has substantial influence on taste, aroma, texture and nutritional value of the fermented products. Thus, yeasts play very important role in improving the nutrition and socio-cultural life of people living in rural and tribal areas of various countries across the world.