This table lists the 134 traditional fermented foods and drinks we’ve written about, from 12 regions, in one place.
Each row comes from the ferment profile on that food’s own page, where the sources are. Use it to compare how foods are fermented,
which ones still contain live microbes when you eat them, which contain alcohol, and which have a home recipe on this site.
How to Read the Table
- Fermentation: the main process. Lactic acid means lactic acid bacteria sour the food; lactic acid +
yeasts means both work together (most traditional grain drinks and beers); Bacillus (alkaline) foods such as dawadawa
turn alkaline rather than sour; mould (koji-type) foods are made with a mould culture. A few foods often called fermented are
really salt-cured, vinegar pickles or made with malt enzymes, and the table says so. - Live microbes when eaten: No means the food is cooked, baked, dried, pasteurised or vinegar-pickled
before you eat it; Depends means it varies with how it’s made or served (eaten raw or cooked, fresh or bottled).
Live microbes don’t make a food a probiotic: that term is for defined strains with a shown health benefit
(ISAPP, Marco et al., 2021). - Alcohol: the usual strength band; homemade drinks keep getting stronger the longer they ferment.
- Home recipe: whether the page gives one. Where it doesn’t, the page explains the safety reason.
What the Table Shows
- 104 of the 134 are soured at least partly by lactic acid bacteria (60 lactic alone, 44 with yeasts).
- 40 have no live microbes by the time they’re eaten, and for 48 it depends on preparation: “fermented” and
“contains live cultures” aren’t the same thing. - 43 contain some alcohol, 23 of them 2% or more.
- 10 have no home recipe on this site, mostly because the hazard can’t be controlled in a home kitchen.
Central Asia and the Caucasus (5)
| Food or drink | Where from | Fermentation | Main microbes | Live microbes when eaten | Alcohol | Home recipe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dovga | Azerbaijan | Lactic acid | Yogurt bacteria in the base (Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus) – killed by cooking | No | None or trace | Yes |
| Matsoni | Georgia and Armenia (South Caucasus) | Lactic acid | Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and other lactic acid bacteria; some yeasts | Yes | None or trace | Yes |
| Qurut | Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan) and Afghanistan | Lactic acid | Lactic acid bacteria: Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, Lactococcus | Depends | None or trace | Yes |
| Qvevri Wine | Georgia (South Caucasus) | Yeasts (alcoholic) | Wild wine yeasts (mainly Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and, later, malolactic bacteria | Depends | Over 6% | Yes |
| Shubat | Kazakhstan and Central Asia | Lactic acid + yeasts | Lactic acid bacteria (e.g. Lactobacillus helveticus) and yeasts (e.g. Kluyveromyces marxianus) | Yes | Under 2% | Yes |
East Asia (20)
| Food or drink | Where from | Fermentation | Main microbes | Live microbes when eaten | Alcohol | Home recipe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazake | Japan | Mould (koji-type) | Enzymes from Aspergillus oryzae (koji); no live bacterial fermentation | No | None or trace | Yes |
| Cheonggukjang | Korea | Bacillus (alkaline) | Bacillus subtilis, B. licheniformis, B. thermoamylovorans and other Bacillus; some lactic acid bacteria and Enterococcus | Depends | None or trace | Yes |
| Doenjang | Korea | Lactic acid + yeasts | Bacillus (e.g. B. velezensis), Mucor, Aspergillus and other molds; Enterococcus and lactic acid bacteria; yeasts | Depends | None or trace | Yes |
| Doubanjiang | Pixian (Pidu), Chengdu, Sichuan, China | Lactic acid + yeasts | Aspergillus oryzae (koji); Bacillus, Staphylococcus, Tetragenococcus; yeasts such as Zygosaccharomyces | No | None or trace | Yes |
| Gochujang | Korea | Lactic acid + yeasts | Bacillus (incl. B. licheniformis), Enterococcus; Aspergillus; yeasts Zygosaccharomyces rouxii and Millerozyma | Depends | None or trace | Yes |
| Hong Qu | China (Fujian and southern China); also Okinawa and Southeast Asia | Mould (koji-type) | Monascus purpureus (also M. ruber, M. pilosus) | No | None or trace | No home recipe (safety) |
| Jiu Niang | China (jiu niang in the east, lao zao in Sichuan and the west) | Lactic acid + yeasts | Rhizopus (and Amylomyces) moulds, Saccharomycopsis and other yeasts, lactic acid bacteria | Depends | Under 2% | Yes |
| Kasuzuke | Japan (Nara-zuke: Nara) | Lactic acid | Fructilactobacillus fructivorans (in Nara-zuke); halotolerant yeasts in the salted vegetables | Depends | 2–6% | Yes |
| Makgeolli | Korea | Lactic acid + yeasts | From nuruk: molds (Aspergillus, Rhizopus, Mucorales), yeasts (Saccharomyces), lactic acid bacteria | Depends | Over 6% | Yes |
| Miso | Japan | Mould (koji-type) | Aspergillus oryzae (koji), then salt-tolerant lactic acid bacteria and yeasts | Depends | None or trace | Yes |
| Natto | Japan (strongest tradition in eastern Japan, e.g. Ibaraki) | Bacillus (alkaline) | Bacillus subtilis var. natto | Yes | None or trace | Yes |
| Nukazuke | Japan | Lactic acid | Lactobacilli (often Lactobacillus plantarum) and yeasts | Yes | None or trace | Yes |
| Pao Cai | Sichuan and Chongqing, China | Lactic acid | Weissella, Lactobacillus (Lactiplantibacillus and others), Leuconostoc | Depends | None or trace | Yes |
| Pu-erh Tea | Yunnan, China | Mould (koji-type) | Mainly Aspergillus (A. acidus, A. fumigatus, A. niger group), plus Penicillium, yeasts and bacteria | No | None or trace | Yes |
| Shio Koji | Japan | Mould (koji-type) | Enzymes from Aspergillus oryzae (koji); no active microbial fermentation in the salted mash | No | None or trace | Yes |
| Sikhye | Korea | Malt enzymes (not microbial) | None in everyday sikhye (enzymatic); Andong sikhye is fermented | No | None or trace | Yes |
| Suan Cai | Northeast China (Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning) | Lactic acid | Wild lactic acid bacteria from the cabbage: Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Weissella | Depends | None or trace | Yes |
| Sufu | China | Mould (koji-type) | Actinomucor elegans, Mucor and Rhizopus species (pehtze), then salt-and-alcohol ripening | No | Under 2% | Yes |
| Umeboshi | Japan (Wakayama is the best-known growing area) | Salt-cured | Few – high salt limits microbial growth; mainly salt-tolerant species | No | None or trace | Yes |
| Zha Cai | Fuling, Chongqing, China | Lactic acid | Lactobacillus (Latilactobacillus sakei, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum), Weissella, halophilic bacteria (Halomonas), Debaryomyces yeast | Depends | None or trace | Yes |
East and Southern Africa (16)
| Food or drink | Where from | Fermentation | Main microbes | Live microbes when eaten | Alcohol | Home recipe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amasi | Southern Africa (South Africa, Zimbabwe and neighboring countries) | Lactic acid | Lactococcus lactis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides and other Leuconostoc, some Lactobacillus | Yes | None or trace | Yes |
| Busaa | Western Kenya (Luhya and Luo communities) | Lactic acid + yeasts | Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida krusei; Lactobacillus plantarum, L. brevis and other lactobacilli; Pediococcus | Yes | 2–6% | Yes |
| Hwahwa | Zimbabwe (Shona: hwahwa, doro); related beers across southern Africa | Lactic acid + yeasts | Lactic acid bacteria (souring), then yeasts including Saccharomyces cerevisiae | Yes | 2–6% | Yes |
| Injera | Ethiopia and Eritrea | Lactic acid + yeasts | Lactic acid bacteria, then acid-tolerant yeasts (Candida milleri dominant in ersho); Bacillus | No | None or trace | Yes |
| Kisra | Sudan (also South Sudan and neighbouring countries) | Lactic acid | Pediococcus pentosaceus (dominant), Lactobacillus brevis and other lactobacilli; early yeasts and moulds | No | None or trace | Yes |
| Maheu | Southern Africa (South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana) | Lactic acid | Lactic acid bacteria such as Weissella, Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc and Pediococcus | Depends | None or trace | Yes |
| Mbege | Kilimanjaro region, Tanzania (Chagga people) | Lactic acid + yeasts | Wild yeasts and lactic acid bacteria | Yes | 2–6% | Yes |
| Mursik | Kalenjin communities, Rift Valley, Kenya | Lactic acid + yeasts | Yeasts (incl. Candida krusei) and lactobacilli (incl. Lactobacillus kefiri); varies by family starter | Yes | Under 2% | No home recipe (safety) |
| Tej | Ethiopia | Lactic acid + yeasts | Saccharomyces cerevisiae and other yeasts; Lactobacillus, Zymomonas and other bacteria | Depends | Over 6% | Yes |
| Tella | Ethiopia | Lactic acid + yeasts | Saccharomyces cerevisiae; lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, Leuconostoc); Acetobacter | Yes | 2–6% | Yes |
| Thobwa | Malawi | Lactic acid | Spontaneous: bacteria and yeasts from the malt and surroundings | No | None or trace | Yes |
| Ting, the Fermented Sorghum Porridge of Botswana | Botswana, and South Africa (especially Tswana communities) | Lactic acid | Lactic acid bacteria (2–4 dominant strains per sample, including Lactobacillus fermentum, L. plantarum and L. reuteri); few yeasts | No | None or trace | Yes |
| Togwa | Tanzania | Lactic acid | Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Levilactobacillus brevis, Limosilactobacillus fermentum, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Weissella confusa; yeasts | Yes | Under 2% | Yes |
| Tonto | Uganda | Lactic acid + yeasts | Wild yeasts (including Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and lactic acid bacteria | Yes | 2–6% | Yes |
| Umqombothi | South Africa (Xhosa and Zulu traditions) | Lactic acid + yeasts | Wild lactic acid bacteria (e.g. Apilactobacillus pseudoficulneus) and yeasts from the malt and grain | Yes | Under 2% | Yes |
| Urwagwa | Rwanda | Lactic acid + yeasts | Spontaneous: wild yeasts and bacteria from the bananas, sorghum and vessel | Yes | Over 6% | Yes |
Eastern Europe and the Balkans (9)
| Food or drink | Where from | Fermentation | Main microbes | Live microbes when eaten | Alcohol | Home recipe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borș | Romania and Moldova | Lactic acid | Lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus amylolyticus, L. oris and others) | No | None or trace | Yes |
| Bryndza Cheese | Slovakia and the Carpathian region | Lactic acid | Lactococcus, Lactobacillus (e.g. L. helveticus), Streptococcus thermophilus; Geotrichum and other yeasts | Depends | None or trace | Yes |
| Kiseli Kupus | Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and neighbouring Balkan countries (kiselo zele in Bulgaria) | Lactic acid | Wild lactic acid bacteria from the cabbage | Depends | None or trace | Yes |
| Kiselo Mlyako | Bulgaria | Lactic acid | Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus | Yes | None or trace | Yes |
| Kvass | Eastern Europe (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, the Baltic states) | Lactic acid + yeasts | Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Lactobacillus casei, Leuconostoc mesenteroides | Depends | Under 2% | Yes |
| Ryazhenka | Russia and Ukraine | Lactic acid | Thermophilic lactic acid bacteria, mainly Streptococcus (S. thermophilus), with Lactobacillus | Yes | None or trace | Yes |
| Trahanas | Greece and Cyprus | Lactic acid | Lactococcus/Streptococcus, Leuconostoc and Lactobacillus species; yeasts in Cypriot trahanas | No | None or trace | Yes |
| Turšija | The Balkans (Serbia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria and neighbours) | Lactic acid | Wild lactic acid bacteria from the vegetables | Yes | None or trace | Yes |
| Żurek | Poland | Lactic acid | Lactic acid bacteria and yeasts from rye flour | No | None or trace | Yes |
Latin America and the Caribbean (15)
| Food or drink | Where from | Fermentation | Main microbes | Live microbes when eaten | Alcohol | Home recipe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balché | Yucatán Peninsula and Chiapas, Mexico (Yucatec and Lacandon Maya) | Yeasts (alcoholic) | Wild yeasts from the honey, bark and vessel (not well studied) | Yes | Under 2% | No home recipe (safety) |
| Caribbean Ginger Beer | Caribbean (homemade ginger beer is also traditional in Britain and elsewhere) | Lactic acid + yeasts | Wild yeasts and lactic acid bacteria from the ginger bug | Yes | Under 2% | Yes |
| Cauim | Indigenous peoples of Brazil (e.g. Tupi-speaking peoples, Tapirapé) | Lactic acid + yeasts | Lactobacillus plantarum, L. pentosus and other lactic acid bacteria; yeasts; Bacillus species | Yes | Under 2% | Yes |
| Chicha de Jora | Andes (Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador) | Lactic acid + yeasts | Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Lactobacillus, Weissella, Leuconostoc, Lactococcus; Acetobacter | Depends | Under 2% | Yes |
| Chicha de Quinoa | Andes (Bolivia, Peru and neighbouring countries) | Lactic acid + yeasts | Yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae and others) and lactic acid bacteria | Yes | Under 2% | Yes |
| Curtido | El Salvador (and neighboring Central America) | Lactic acid | Lactic acid bacteria from the vegetables (as in sauerkraut) | Depends | None or trace | Yes |
| Guarapo | Latin America and the Caribbean (also Brazil as caldo de cana) | Lactic acid + yeasts | Wild yeasts and bacteria from the cane and press (not well studied) | Yes | Under 2% | Yes |
| Masato | Amazon lowlands (Peru, Ecuador and neighboring countries) | Lactic acid + yeasts | Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Limosilactobacillus fermentum, Pediococcus acidilactici, Weissella confusa; yeasts such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae | Yes | Under 2% | Yes |
| Mauby | Caribbean (Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic) | Lactic acid + yeasts | Not studied; wild or added yeasts and bacteria from the starter | Depends | Under 2% | Yes |
| Pozol | Southeast Mexico (Tabasco, Chiapas) | Lactic acid | Streptococcus (dominant), Weissella confusa, Leuconostoc, Lactococcus and other lactic acid bacteria; nitrogen-fixing Kosakonia, Klebsiella, Enterobacter | Yes | None or trace | Yes |
| Pulque | Central Mexico | Lactic acid + yeasts | Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lactobacillus spp., Zymomonas mobilis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae | Depends | 2–6% | Yes |
| Tejate | Zapotec Central Valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico | Not fermented | None – tejate is not fermented | No | None or trace | Yes |
| Tejuino | Western and northwestern Mexico (Jalisco, Nayarit, Zacatecas, Sinaloa, Sonora, Chihuahua) | Lactic acid + yeasts | Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pichia yeasts; Limosilactobacillus fermentum, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum; Enterococcus | Yes | Under 2% | Yes |
| Tepache | Mexico | Lactic acid + yeasts | Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Lactococcus, Acetobacter; Saccharomyces, Zygosaccharomyces, Candida | Yes | Under 2% | Yes |
| Tesgüino | Northern Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora, Durango) | Lactic acid + yeasts | Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus, Streptococcus; yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida | Yes | 2–6% | Yes |
Middle East and North Africa (13)
| Food or drink | Where from | Fermentation | Main microbes | Live microbes when eaten | Alcohol | Home recipe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amba | Iraq (Iraqi and Iraqi-Jewish cooking); now common in Israel | Lactic acid | Salt- and acid-tolerant lactic acid bacteria and other bacteria from the fruit | Depends | None or trace | Yes |
| Ayran | Turkey and the surrounding region | Lactic acid | Yogurt cultures: Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (plus any added strains) | Depends | None or trace | Yes |
| Bouza | Egypt | Lactic acid + yeasts | Yeasts and lactic acid bacteria from a previous brew (backslopping) | Yes | 2–6% | Yes |
| Boza | Turkey and the Balkans | Lactic acid + yeasts | Lactobacillus fermentum, L. casei group, Weissella confusa, Leuconostoc citreum, Pediococcus; yeasts such as Pichia and Torulaspora | Depends | Under 2% | Yes |
| Doogh | Iran | Lactic acid | Yogurt cultures: Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus | Depends | None or trace | Yes |
| Fesikh | Egypt | Lactic acid + yeasts | Few published studies; Clostridium botulinum type E is the main hazard | Depends | None or trace | No home recipe (safety) |
| Kishk | Lebanon and the Levant | Lactic acid | Lactic acid bacteria from the yogurt, plus wild microbes from the grain | No | None or trace | Yes |
| Labneh | The Levant (Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine) and the wider Middle East | Lactic acid | Yogurt cultures (Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus); traditional labneh Ambaris: mixed Lactobacillus species | Depends | None or trace | Yes |
| Raib | Morocco (similar fermented milks across North Africa) | Lactic acid | Mesophilic lactic acid bacteria: Lactococcus lactis, enterococci, Leuconostoc | Yes | None or trace | Yes |
| Shanklish | Lebanon and Syria | Lactic acid + yeasts | Yogurt lactic acid bacteria; surface molds and yeasts in aged shanklish | Depends | None or trace | Yes |
| Smen | Morocco and Algeria (North Africa) | Lactic acid | Lactic acid bacteria (Lactococcus, S. thermophilus, lactobacilli, enterococci) and yeasts | Depends | None or trace | Yes |
| Tarhana | Turkey (related foods across the Balkans and the Levant) | Lactic acid + yeasts | Lactic acid bacteria and yeasts (e.g. Kazachstania humilis, Pichia kluyveri) | No | None or trace | Yes |
| Torshi | Iran (with relatives across the Middle East, Turkey and the Balkans) | Vinegar pickle; salt-brined versions are lactic | Vinegar torshi: none. Salt-brined Persian pickles: Lactobacillus plantarum, L. brevis, L. pentosus, Leuconostoc mesenteroides | Depends | None or trace | Yes |
Nordic countries (8)
| Food or drink | Where from | Fermentation | Main microbes | Live microbes when eaten | Alcohol | Home recipe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filmjölk | Sweden (and wider Scandinavia) | Lactic acid | Lactococcus lactis (subsp. lactis and cremoris), Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris | Yes | None or trace | Yes |
| Hákarl | Iceland | Alkaline bacterial, not lactic | Tissierella, Atopostipes, Pseudomonas and other alkaline-tolerant bacteria (not lactic acid bacteria) | Not known | None or trace | No home recipe (safety) |
| Kiviaq | Avanersuaq (Qaanaaq area), northwest Greenland; Inughuit | Lactic acid + yeasts | Not described in published studies we found; Clostridium botulinum type E is the main hazard | Depends | None or trace | No home recipe (safety) |
| Rakfisk | Norway (especially inland valleys) | Lactic acid + yeasts | Psychrobacter, Lactobacillus and other salt-tolerant bacteria, plus the fish’s own enzymes | Yes | None or trace | No home recipe (safety) |
| Sima | Finland | Yeasts (alcoholic) | Baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) | Yes | Under 2% | Yes |
| Skyr | Iceland | Lactic acid | Skyr cultures (thermophilic lactic acid bacteria) | Yes | None or trace | Yes |
| Surströmming | Northern Sweden (Gulf of Bothnia coast) | Lactic acid + yeasts | Halanaerobium praevalens, Alkalibacterium gilvum, Carnobacterium, Tetragenococcus halophilus | Yes | None or trace | Yes |
| Viili | Finland | Lactic acid | Lactococcus lactis (subsp. cremoris and lactis, biovar diacetylactis), Leuconostoc mesenteroides; Geotrichum candidum on the surface | Yes | None or trace | Yes |
Pacific Islands (2)
| Food or drink | Where from | Fermentation | Main microbes | Live microbes when eaten | Alcohol | Home recipe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fermented Breadfruit | Pacific Islands (Polynesia and Micronesia) | Lactic acid | Not characterised; lactic acid bacteria likely | No | None or trace | No home recipe (safety) |
| Poi | Hawaiʻi (Polynesia) | Lactic acid | Lactococcus lactis, Leuconostoc, Weissella, Lactobacillus | Depends | None or trace | Yes |
South Asia and the Himalayas (17)
| Food or drink | Where from | Fermentation | Main microbes | Live microbes when eaten | Alcohol | Home recipe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Achaar | South Asia (India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh) | Salt, acid and spices; some lactic | Varies; salt-tolerant yeasts and lactic acid bacteria in some home-made achaars | Depends | None or trace | Yes |
| Chang | Tibet and the Tibetan-speaking Himalaya (Ladakh, Sikkim, Bhutan, highland Nepal) | Yeasts (alcoholic) | Molds (Rhizopus) and yeasts (Saccharomyces, Saccharomycopsis fibuligera, Pichia) from phab/marcha; Acetobacter, Leuconostoc and other bacteria | Depends | 2–6% | Yes |
| Chhurpi | Eastern Himalaya: Nepal, Sikkim and Darjeeling (India), Bhutan, Tibet | Lactic acid | Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei, Enterococcus faecium | Depends | None or trace | Yes |
| Dhokla | Gujarat, India | Lactic acid | Lactic acid bacteria and yeasts from the dal, rice and yogurt | No | None or trace | Yes |
| Dosa Batter | South India | Lactic acid | Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Weissella, Enterococcus, Pediococcus; some yeasts | No | None or trace | Yes |
| Gundruk | Nepal and the Eastern Himalayas | Lactic acid | Lactobacillus plantarum, L. brevis, Pediococcus pentosaceus, P. acidilactici, Leuconostoc fallax | Depends | None or trace | Yes |
| Handia | Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh, India | Lactic acid + yeasts | Amylolytic molds and yeasts from the ranu starter; lactic acid bacteria and Bifidobacterium | Yes | 2–6% | Yes |
| How Kinema Is Made | Eastern Nepal (Limbuwan; Limboo people); Darjeeling Hills and Sikkim (India), southern Bhutan | Bacillus (alkaline) | Bacillus subtilis (dominant), with B. licheniformis, B. thermoamylovorans, B. cereus and others in traditional kinema | Depends | None or trace | Yes |
| Idli | South India | Lactic acid | Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Weissella, Enterococcus, Pediococcus; some yeasts | No | None or trace | Yes |
| Jalebi | India and Pakistan (related sweets across the Middle East) | Lactic acid + yeasts | Lactic acid bacteria (Lapidilactobacillus dextrinicus, Enterococcus, Pediococcus), acetic acid bacteria, yeasts (Pichia kudriavzevii, Wickerhamomyces anomalus) | No | None or trace | Yes |
| Judima | Dima Hasao and neighbouring districts, Assam, India (Dimasa people) | Lactic acid + yeasts | Starter moulds (Rhizopus-type) and yeasts; lactic and acetic acid bacteria | Yes | Over 6% | Yes |
| Kanji | North India | Lactic acid | Lactic acid bacteria, e.g. Pediococcus acidilactici and Levilactobacillus brevis | Yes | None or trace | Yes |
| Koozh | Tamil Nadu, South India | Lactic acid | Lactic acid bacteria (Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus incl. L. plantarum and L. fermentum, Weissella, Enterococcus) | Depends | None or trace | Yes |
| Lassi | Punjab (India and Pakistan) and North India | Lactic acid | Yogurt cultures (Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus) or household dahi cultures | Depends | None or trace | Yes |
| Soibum | Manipur, Northeast India | Lactic acid | Lactic acid bacteria: Lactobacillus brevis, L. plantarum, L. curvatus, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Leuconostoc spp., Weissella | No | None or trace | Yes |
| Tongba | Eastern Nepal (Limbu), Sikkim and Darjeeling | Lactic acid + yeasts | Molds from marcha; yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomycopsis fibuligera, Pichia anomala); lactic acid bacteria (Pediococcus pentosaceus) | Depends | 2–6% | Yes |
| Wadi | Indian subcontinent (North India; bori in Bengal) | Lactic acid | Lactic acid bacteria and yeasts from the black gram (spontaneous) | No | None or trace | Yes |
Southeast Asia (14)
| Food or drink | Where from | Fermentation | Main microbes | Live microbes when eaten | Alcohol | Home recipe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atchara | Philippines | Vinegar pickle (not fermented) | No | None or trace | Yes | |
| Balao-Balao | Pampanga, Philippines | Lactic acid | Lactic acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus plantarum, L. fermentum and Weissella cibaria | No | None or trace | Yes |
| Basi | Ilocos region, northwestern Luzon, Philippines | Yeasts (alcoholic) | Saccharomyces cerevisiae (bark polyphenols suppress lactic and acetic acid bacteria) | Depends | Over 6% | No home recipe (safety) |
| Burong Isda | Philippines (Luzon, especially Pampanga) | Lactic acid | Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Pediococcus, Lactobacillus plantarum | No | None or trace | Yes |
| Dưa Muối | Vietnam | Lactic acid | Lactic acid bacteria: Lactobacillus fermentum, L. pentosus, L. plantarum | Depends | None or trace | Yes |
| Lahpet Thoke | Myanmar (related miang in northern Thailand and Laos) | Lactic acid | Lactobacillus plantarum, L. collinoides, Acetobacter; yeasts Pichia, Candida, Cyberlindnera | Yes | None or trace | Yes |
| Naem | Thailand (especially Isaan) and Laos | Lactic acid | Lactobacillus (L. plantarum), Lactococcus, Pediococcus, Weissella | No | None or trace | Yes |
| Oncom | West Java, Indonesia (Sundanese) | Mould (koji-type) | Neurospora intermedia (red oncom); Rhizopus (black oncom) | No | None or trace | Yes |
| Pa Daek | Laos and northeast Thailand (Isan) | Lactic acid | Halotolerant bacteria and lactic acid bacteria (varies; not well characterised) | Depends | None or trace | Yes |
| Prahok | Cambodia (Tonle Sap and Mekong) | Lactic acid + yeasts | Salt-tolerant bacteria: Tetragenococcus, Bacillus, Staphylococcus, Lentibacillus; also Clostridium | No | None or trace | Yes |
| Rượu Cần | Vietnam (Central Highlands and other highland peoples) | Mould (koji-type) | Moulds Amylomyces rouxii, Rhizopus oligosporus, R. oryzae; yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae | Yes | Over 6% | Yes |
| Tapai | Indonesia and Malaysia | Lactic acid + yeasts | Amylomyces rouxii (and related molds), Candida pelliculosa, Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Bacillus, Acetobacter, lactic acid bacteria | Yes | Under 2% | Yes |
| Tapuy | Cordillera, northern Luzon, Philippines (Benguet, Ifugao, Mountain Province) | Yeasts (alcoholic) | Molds (Aspergillus oryzae, Rhizopus oryzae, Mucor) and yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) from bubod; Bacillus and lactic acid bacteria | Depends | Over 6% | Yes |
| Tempoyak | Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Kalimantan | Lactic acid | Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Fructobacillus durionis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Levilactobacillus brevis | Depends | None or trace | Yes |
West and Central Africa (11)
| Food or drink | Where from | Fermentation | Main microbes | Live microbes when eaten | Alcohol | Home recipe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawadawa | West Africa (Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal and neighbors) | Bacillus (alkaline) | Bacillus subtilis (dominant), other Bacillus species; also Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Lactobacillus | No | None or trace | Yes |
| Fermented Cassava | West and Central Africa (gari: Nigeria, Ghana, Benin; attiéké: Côte d’Ivoire; fufu across the region) | Lactic acid | Lactobacillus plantarum, Leuconostoc and other lactic acid bacteria; yeasts such as Candida | No | None or trace | Overview (see gari) |
| Fura da Nono | Northern Nigeria and the Sahel (Fulani and Hausa) | Lactic acid | Limosilactobacillus fermentum, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei, L. rhamnosus and other lactic acid bacteria | Yes | None or trace | Yes |
| Gari | West Africa (Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Togo and neighbours) | Lactic acid | Lactobacillus plantarum, Leuconostoc fallax, L. fermentum | No | None or trace | Yes |
| Kenkey | Southern Ghana (Ga and Fante) | Lactic acid | Heterofermentative lactobacilli; yeasts (Candida, Saccharomyces) | No | None or trace | Yes |
| Kunu | Northern Nigeria (Hausa) and the West African Sahel | Lactic acid | Lactobacillus and other lactic acid bacteria (Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus, Weissella); Saccharomyces cerevisiae | Depends | None or trace | Yes |
| Ogi | Nigeria and West Africa (Yoruba ogi, Igbo akamu) | Lactic acid | Lactobacillus plantarum and other lactic acid bacteria; yeasts such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida | No | None or trace | Yes |
| Ogiri | Southern Nigeria (especially Igbo cooking) and West Africa | Bacillus (alkaline) | Bacillus species (incl. B. safensis-like strains), with Micrococcus; some yeasts and moulds | No | None or trace | Yes |
| Palm Wine | West and Central Africa; also South and Southeast Asia | Yeasts (alcoholic) | Saccharomyces cerevisiae; lactic acid bacteria (Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Leuconostoc mesenteroides); acetic acid bacteria later | Yes | 2–6% | Yes |
| Pito | Northern Ghana; also Burkina Faso (dolo) and neighbouring countries | Lactic acid + yeasts | Lactobacillus fermentum (souring); Saccharomyces cerevisiae (alcoholic fermentation) | Yes | 2–6% | Yes |
| Ugba | South-eastern Nigeria (Igbo) | Bacillus (alkaline) | Bacillus species (B. cereus group predominant in traditional ugba; B. subtilis and B. licheniformis as tested starters) | Depends | None or trace | Yes |
Western and Southern Europe (4)
| Food or drink | Where from | Fermentation | Main microbes | Live microbes when eaten | Alcohol | Home recipe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brine-Cure Olives | The Mediterranean: Greece (Kalamata and Conservolea olives), Spain, Italy and Portugal; also Egypt, Turkey and Algeria | Lactic acid | Yeasts (often dominant in Greek-style olives) and lactic acid bacteria from the fruit | Yes | None or trace | Yes |
| Brovada | Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy | Lactic acid + yeasts | Lactic acid bacteria and yeasts from the turnips and grape marc | No | None or trace | Yes |
| Colatura di Alici | Cetara, Amalfi Coast (Campania), Italy | Salt-cured (fish enzymes) | Fish enzymes and salt-tolerant bacteria (not well characterised in colatura) | No | None or trace | Yes |
| Sidra Natural | Asturias, Spain | Yeasts (alcoholic) | Wild Saccharomyces (S. cerevisiae, S. bayanus) and apiculate yeasts; Oenococcus oeni and Lactobacillus brevis (malolactic) | Depends | 2–6% | Yes |
How We Built This Table
Every food here has its own page, researched from published studies and food-safety sources that are linked on that page, and a
ferment profile summarising its origin, fermentation, microbes, live cultures and alcohol. This table is generated from those
profiles, so when a page is corrected, the table follows. “Main microbes” lists what studies of that food report; for many
traditional foods the microbes vary from household to household, and some have hardly been studied. We use the ISAPP definition
of a fermented food: one “made through desired microbial growth and enzymatic conversions of food components”
(Marco et al., 2021).