Ethnic fermented foods and beverages of India : science history and culture

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. 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 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 Volume Is The Result Of An International Conference Organized By The South Asia Institute At The University Of Texas. Patrick Olivelle Has Collected And Edited The Best Papers To Emerge From The Conference. Part I Of The Book Looks At What Can Be Construed From Archeological Evidence. Part Ii Concerns Itself With The Textual Evidence For The Period. Taken Together, These Essays Offer An Unprecedented Look At Indian Culture And Society In This Distant Epoch. Catalogs the wide array of extensively studied fermented items found in the Himalayas, including fermented fish and vegetables. This book isolates, characterizes, and identifies each probiotic microorganism based on modern phenotypic and genotypic characteristics. The Himalayas and food culture Fermented vegetables Fermented soybeans Fermented milks Fermented cereals Ethnic fish products Ethnic meat products Ethnic starters and alcoholic beverages Antiquity and ethnic values Prospects of the Himalayan fermented foods.