In 2008, National Public Radio’s Science Friday searched the scientific literature to find answers to an important holiday question: does the alcohol in eggnog kill Salmonella? When the team couldn’t find the answers in the literature, they instead found a lab that routinely makes eggnog each year.
Category: Fermented Foods
Sourdough Citizen Science: Does San Francisco Sourdough Stay in San Francisco?
Many claim that there is something special in the water or air that gives San Francisco sourdough bread its unique tang and local bakers often say that no one outside of the area can replicate the flavor and texture of San Francisco sourdough. Sourdough bread is made from a starter – a slurry of water…
Soybeans as a Versatile Fermentation Product
Soybeans became widely popular in the last few decades. Low in fat, high in protein, a good substitute for meat, and sometimes fermented. This unassuming little bean has plenty of creative uses. Unfermented types of soy products include tofu, soymilk and in its purest, unprocessed form, edamame. Microbes transform soybeans into products as different as…
Microbes at work in your kimchi
Kimchi is the national dish of South Korea and has become a global trend in the last several years. With its distinct and pungent odor, people seem to either love this stuff or despise it with all their passion. Kimchi is a mixture of vegetables and seasonings that is fermented before it is eaten. It…
Sourdough, an incubator for microbial symbiosis
“Blues is to jazz what yeast is to bread. Without it, it’s flat.” – Carmen McRae, jazz musician History of sourdough Sourdough bread and other fermented foods have been around for centuries. The oldest leavened bread was excavated in Switzerland, dating from 3500 BCE. However, the oldest evidence of leavening was recorded by the Egyptians…