Himalayan Fermented Foods

The magnificent Himalayan Mountains, the highest in the world and home to the famed Mount Everest and K2, are also imbued with a rich diversity of ethnic fermented foods. Dr. Jyoti Prakash Tamang, one of the leading authorities on food microbiology, has studied Himalayan fermented foods and beverages for the last twenty-two years. His comprehensive volume, Himalayan Fermented Foods: Microbiology, Nutrition, and Ethnic Values catalogs the great variety of common as well as lesser-known fermented foods and beverages in the Himalayan region. This volume begins with an introduction to the Himalayas and the Himalayan food culture. Using a consistent format throughout the book, Dr. Tamang discusses fermented vegetables, legumes, milk, cereals, fish and meat products, and alcoholic beverages. Each chapter explores indigenous knowledge of preparation, culinary practices, and microorganisms for each product. Additional information on microbiology and nutritive value supplements each section, and discussions on ethnic food history and values as well as future prospects for these foods complete the coverage. Dr. Tamang demonstrates that fermentation remains an effective, inexpensive method for extending the shelf life of foods and increasing their nutritional content through probiotic function, and therefore remains a valuable practice for developing countries and rural communities with limited facilities.

This book provides detailed information on the various ethnic fermented foods and beverages of India. India is home to a diverse food culture comprising fermented and non-fermented ethnic foods and alcoholic beverages. More than 350 different types of familiar, less-familiar and rare ethnic fermented foods and alcoholic beverages are traditionally prepared by the country’s diverse ethnic groups, and include alcoholic, milk, vegetable, bamboo, legume, meat, fish, and cereal based beverages. Most of the Indian ethnic fermented foods are naturally fermented, whereas the majority of the alcoholic beverages have been prepared using dry starter culture and the ‘back-sloping’ method for the past 6,000 years. A broad range of culturable and unculturable microbiomes and mycobiomes are associated with the fermentation and production of ethnic foods and alcoholic drinks in India. The book begins with detailed chapters on various aspects including food habits, dietary culture, and the history, microbiology and health benefits of fermented Indian food and beverages. Subsequent chapters describe unique and region-specific ethnic fermented foods and beverages from all 28 states and 9 union territories. In turn the classification of various ethnic fermented foods and beverages, their traditional methods of preparation, culinary practices and mode of consumption, socio-economy, ethnic values, microbiology, food safety, nutritional value, and process optimization in some foods are discussed in details with original pictures. In closing, the book addresses the medicinal properties of the fermented food products and their health benefits, together with corresponding safety regulations.

Asia has a long history of preparation and consumption of various types of ethnic fermented foods and alcoholic beverages based on available raw substrates of plant or animal sources and also depending on agro-climatic conditions of the regions. Diversity of functional microorganisms in Asian ethnic fermented foods and alcoholic beverages consists of bacteria (Lactic acid bacteria and Bacillus species, micrococcii, etc.), amylolytic and alcohol-producing yeasts and filamentous moulds. Though there are hundreds of research articles, review papers, and limited books on fermented foods and beverages, the present book: Ethnic Fermented Foods and Alcoholic Beverages of Asia is the first of this kind on compilation of various ethnic fermented foods and alcoholic beverages of Asia. This book has fifteen chapters covering different types of ethnic fermented foods and alcoholic beverages of Asia. Some of the authors are well-known scientists and researchers with vast experiences in the field of fermented foods and beverages who include Prof. Tek Chand Bhalla, Dr. Namrata Thapa (India), Prof. Yearul Kabir and Dr. Mahmud Hossain (Bangladesh), Prof. Tika Karki (Nepal), Dr. Saeed Akhtar (Pakistan), Prof. Sagarika Ekanayake (Sri Lanka), Dr. Werasit Sanpamongkolchai (Thailand), Prof. Sh. Demberel (Mongolia), Dr. Yoshiaki Kitamura, Dr. Ken-Ichi Kusumoto, Dr. Yukio Magariyama, Dr. Tetsuya Oguma, Dr. Toshiro Nagai, Dr. Soichi Furukawa, Dr. Chise Suzuki, Dr. Masataka Satomi, Dr. Kazunori Takamine, Dr. Naonori Tamaki and Dr. Sota Yamamoto (Japan), Prof. Dong-Hwa Shin, Prof. Cherl-Ho Lee, Dr. Young-Myoung Kim, Dr. Wan-Soo Park Dr. Jae-Ho Kim (South Korea) Dr. Maryam Tajabadi Ebrahimi (Iran), Dr. Francisco B. Elegado (Philippines), Prof. Ingrid Suryanti Surono (Indonesia), Dr. Vu Nguyen Thanh (Vietnam). Researchers, students, teachers, nutritionists, dieticians, food entrepreneurs, agriculturalist, government policy makers, ethnologists, sociologists and electronic media persons may read this book who keep interest on biological importance of Asian fermented foods and beverages.

Did you know? It's estimated that fermentation practices have been around since as early as 6000 BC, when wine was first being made in Caucasus and Mesopotamia. Today, there are roughly 5000 varieties of fermented foods and beverages prepared and consumed worldwide, which accounts for between five and forty percent of daily meals. Fermented Foods a

Indigenous Fermented Foods of South Asia covers the foods of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, and Afghanistan. For each type of food, its microbiology, biochemistry, biotechnology, quality, and nutritional value is covered in depth.The book discusses numerous topics including various types of fermented foods, their o

Health Benefits of Fermented Foods and Beverages discusses the functionality and myriad health benefits of fermented foods and beverages of the world. It examines health-promoting and therapeutic properties, covering the molecular process of fermentation and the resulting benefit to nutritional value and long-term health. Exploring a range of ferme

Fermented food can be produced with inexpensive ingredients and simple techniques and makes a significant contribution to the human diet, especially in rural households and village communities worldwide. Progress in the biological and microbiological sciences involved in the manufacture of these foods has led to commercialization and heightened int

Fermented food can be produced with inexpensive ingredients and simple techniques and makes a significant contribution to the human diet, especially in rural households and village communities worldwide. Progress in the biological and microbiological sciences involved in the manufacture of these foods has led to commercialization and heightened int