a word used loosely to describe desirable changes brought about by living micro-organisms (yeasts, moulds, and bacteria) in food and drink. Examples are making bread rise and turning milk into cheese. The term is often extended to changes caused by non-living enzymes, for example in the ‘fermentation’ of black tea. When micro-organisms or enzymes cause undesirable changes, for example making food go bad, what happens is called spoilage rather than fermentation.
There are two main reasons for subjecting food to fermentation. One is to convert it from a form which will not keep, such as milk, to one which will, such as cheese. The other is to make foods which are indigestible in their original state, such as wheat or soya beans, digestible by turning them into products such as bread or tempe. As well as these practical benefits there are other gains, such as improvement in flavour.
While many fermentations of food are familiar, it is often not realized that the process plays a part in the preparation of black pepper, coffee, cocoa, vanilla, and many kinds of sausage.
For more detailed information on particular fermentations, see the articles on the fermented foods themselves.
Alan Davidson was a distinguished author and publisher, and one of the world's best-known writers on fish and fish cookery. In 1975 he retired early from the diplomatic service—after serving in, among other places, Washington, Egypt, Tunisia, and Laos, where he was British Ambassador—to pursue a fruitful second career as a food historian and food writer extraordinaire. Among his popular books are Seafood of South-East Asia, North Atlantic Seafood, and Mediterranean Seafood. In 2003, shortly before his death, he was awarded the Erasmus Prize for his contribution to European culture.
