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 and flour brimming with microorganisms. Once fed, bacteria and yeast begin to eat up the nutrients in the mixture and produce an array of compounds that give sourdough its flavor. The microbes also produce carbon dioxide, which makes the starter rise. Once the nutrients in the flour have been digested by the microbes, growth slows down and the starter falls. The starter almost seems alive. (more…)
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 soy sauce, tempeh, natto, and miso.
When I first bought tempeh several years ago, I thought there was something wrong with it. A mysterious white substance glued soybeans together into a solid, congealed slab. It felt slimy and was full of grey spots. Little did I know at the time that microbes help make this tasty treat. (more…)
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 is spicy, salty, and tangy all at the same time. (more…)
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 possibly when flatbread dough was left out and colonized by wild yeasts and bacteria. Throughout most of human history, sourdough was the source of leavening and the use of baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) did not occur until the 19th century. For more detail about this history of sourdough, visit The Sourdough School. (more…)