Fermentation has numerous purposes, including giving new flavours and textures to food, prolonging food shelf life, making some nutrients more easily absorbed by the body, and providing a habitat for probiotics to develop and multiply. Fermentation is a natural process that turns carbohydrates into compounds that people may utilise.
Mika Zorgman, a product developer at Tabufood, shares some insights about fermentation and how food producers can utilise it.
Tabufood was started in 2014 on the small-scale production of fermentation of good quality organic non-GMO soybeans and rice. The team discovered the need for fermented products in South Africa, as well as better food options for the small but rapidly growing plant-based market.
“Tabufood is a 100% plant-based food manufacturer that produces tofu, tempeh, natto, amazaki, sauerkraut and fermented vegetables. We import high-quality organic miso and shoyu/tamari sauce as well as organic seaweeds which are extremely mineral rich,” she explains.
What is fermentation?
Fermentation is a chemical reaction carried out by microorganisms that transform carbohydrates into a new substance. From ancient times, humans have used the natural fermentation process to create a variety of items such as meals, medicines, and energy.
“Fermentation has many functions such as adding new flavours and textures to food, extending the shelf life of foods, making some nutrients more easily absorbed by the body, and providing an environment for probiotics to grow and reproduce. Fermentation is a natural process that converts sugars into products that can be useful to humans,” she says.
Market in South Africa
According to Zorgman, there is a lot of space to grow the food market with fermented products in South Africa. More importantly, it is good to have a support base with the new fermented products on the market.
“South Africa itself has a long history of fermentation, the most popular traditional products are amasi (sour milk), and amahewu (a non-alcoholic fermented maize drink). Other examples are iIncwancwa (a sour porridge from maize or sorghum gruel) and umqombothi (sorghum beer). These products have been around for hundreds of years and form part of the African culture,” she explains.
In this episode, Zorgman also discusses:
- Temperature requirements; and
- Benefits of fermentation.
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