Enterococcus faecium

The History of Fermented Foods 17
1.3.3 Do s a
Dosa is a pancake made from the batter of rice and black gram, and is first noted in
the Tamil (India) Sangam literature about the sixth century A.D. 29 The use of pulses
to make the well-known dhokla (steam-cooked fermented spicy cake) of today was
first mentioned in 1066 A.D. (Figure 1.1c). In northern India, dried spicy hollow
balls called warries (Figure 1.1d) have been made for more than 100 yr. They are
prepared from black gram paste fermented for 3 to 10 d. Nan, bhatura, and kulcha
are a type of staple foods made from fermented wheat dough and shaped as flattened
breads in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran (Figures 1.1e to 1g).
1.3.4 So y Fo o d s
1.3.4.1 Soy Sauce
Soybeans are one of the most important protein sources for millions of people in the
Orient; one of the most popular products for centuries has been soy sauce. Soy sauce
is a liquid food condiment prepared from fermented rice or wheat and soybean with
the help of molds, bacteria, and yeasts. Soy sauce is known as ch’au yau or pak yau
in China, shoyu in Japan, ketjap in Malaysia, kecap in Indonesia, kenjang in Korea,
toyo in the Philippines, and see-ieu in Thailand. 30 It is said that soy sauce became
popular in Japan as a result of the introduction of Buddhism from China. The Chinese
have been using soy sauce for over 3000 yr. 31
1.3.4.2 Miso
Miso (see Figure 1.1h) is a fermented soybean paste that is believed to have originated
in China in 600 A.D. or earlier. It is known as chiang in China, miso in Japan,
jang or deoenjang in Korea, tauco in Indonesia, taochieo in Thailand, and tao-si in
the Philippines. Most of these products contain rice or barley fermented by Aspergillus
oryzae, which makes koji. This is mixed with soybeans and fermented for several
months. Miso has been popular in Japan for over 1000 yr and is used as a base for
soups, a sauce served with meat, or poultry, seafood, and vegetable dishes. (See
Chapter 11 for more details on the production and health properties of miso.)
1.3.4.3 Tempeh
One of the most important products of Indonesia is tempeh, which is made from
soybean fermented with the mold Rhizopus. It is particularly important in Java and
Bali. It is also produced in Malaysian villages, Singapore, Canada, Holland, the West
Indies and the United States. 31 Tempeh, the mold-fermented cake, has been consumed
as a meat analogue for several centuries. Prinsen Geerlings 32 was the first to identify
the tempeh mold. Later, Boorsma 33 analyzed tempeh and soybeans to determine the
changes that were occurring to the substrates during fermentation. (See Chapter 17
for more details on the production and health properties of tempeh.)