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Let’s have a look with us at the well-known fermented foods that are excellent for the gut, where they come from, and what makes them so unique.

Fermented Soy Products: Tempeh, Natto, and Miso

Fermented soy products have long been consumed in Asia. Fermentation increases the nutritional value of soybeans, substantially reducing their antinutrient content.

Tempeh is a traditional Indonesian soy product made with boiled, dehulled, and fermented soybeans. It is typically produced using a starter culture of Rhizopus oligosporus, a type of mold.

Natto is a fermented soybean dish that hails from Japan and is famous for its incredibly pungent flavor and aroma. It is fermented with a bacterium called Bacillus subtilis var. natto and is traditionally consumed as a breakfast food in Japan.

Miso is a salty, rich fermented bean paste produced with the help of a mold called Aspergillus oryzae.

Kimchi

Kimchi is a term used to describe a variety of salted and fermented vegetables that originate from Korea. It typically contains cabbage, radishes, chili, pepper, garlic, onion, ginger, and salt. Occasionally, it also includes other ingredients such as sesame seeds, apple, and pear. Kimchi is dominated by lactic acid-producing Leuconostoc bacteria.

Kombucha

Kombucha is a fermented drink made of black tea and sugar (from various sources like cane sugar, fruit or honey). It has a long history, that goes back thousands of years and being known as the tea line “Everlasting longevity” in China. This drink contains a colony of bacteria and yeast that is responsible for initiating the fermentation process once combined with sugar.

Do fermented foods like kombucha contain alcohol? This drink has trace amounts of alcohol but too little to cause intoxication or even to be noticeable. Other fermented foods, such as yogurt or fermented veggies, typically do not have any alcohol at all.

Yogurt

Yogurt is one of the best and most well-known fermented foods. It’s made from milk that’s been fermented with live, friendly bacteria, namely bifidobacteria and lactic acid bacteria.

It’s an easy way to get your daily dose of probiotics. Try including it in your breakfast with berries and honey or as a satisfying snack with nuts or granola. Make sure you’re buying the real deal though, and go for yogurt with ‘live’ or ‘active’ cultures, as some will have been processed to kill the bacteria.

Kefir

Kefir is compared to the taste and texture of drinkable yo-gurt. It’s easier to digest for those with lactosse intoreance and is often added to smoothies. Kefir comes with a ton of benefits, including reducing ìnlammatory markers and aiding in bone health.