Some Asian Fermented Foods and Beverages, And Associated Fungi

Abstract

SUMMARYLarge quantities of fermented products are consumed daily in India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sikkim, Tibet, and neighboring countries. This study was undertaken to determine the constituents and the fungi responsible for certain fermentation processes. The fermented products investigated and the corresponding significant fungi isolated are as follows: idli—Torulopsis candida and Trichosporon pullulans; jalebies—Saccharomyces bayanus; kanji—Hansenula anomala var. anomala; murcha—H. anomala var. schneggii, Mucor rouxianus, and Rhizopus arrhizus; Panjabi waries and papadams—Candida sp. and Saccharomyces cerevisae; and toddy—S. cerevisiae.