Our favorite foods are not just delicious, but they also owe their unique flavors, smells, and textures to millions of microbes. From coffee to cheese and beer to chocolate, these microbes play a crucial role in creating the foods we know and love.
While 99% of these microbes are harmless to humans, the remaining 1% can be dangerous. This is why humans, as well as other mammals and birds, evolved a natural aversion to foods that may harbor harmful germs.
One way to manage food safety is through controlled spoilage, which has been practiced for thousands of years. By adding salt, harmless, salt-tolerant microbes can outcompete the dangerous, salt-sensitive ones, making the food safe to eat while transforming it into something delicious. In bread dough, yeast turns sugary starch into carbon dioxide, giving bread its lift. In chocolate, bacteria and fungi mellow out bitter polyphenols, creating a complex and delicious taste. In cheese caves, mold spores populate small holes and cracks in blue cheese, while other microbes digest protein and fat molecules, creating a host of sultry flavors.
Fermented foods are known for their strong aromas and flavors, which come from smaller aromatic and flavor compounds. These compounds give the final product its smoothness and rich, funky flavor. While some may find the smell of stinky cheese unappetizing, exposure to certain microbial flavors can make them more enjoyable over time.
Culinary cultures all over the world use fermentation to create dishes like sauerkraut, soy sauce, pickles, and prosciutto. Other delicacies such as kefir, kimchi, kombucha, koumiss, and katsuobushi also owe their existence to fermentation. Historical evidence suggests that when humans settled down to grow grain, it was likely for the love of bread or beer. Without the help of friendly fermenting microbes, humans would be much less cultured.
Imagine you are a microbe involved in the fermentation process of a particular food. Write a short script and perform a skit, explaining your role in the transformation of the food. Be creative and try to incorporate the scientific facts you’ve learned from the article.
For one week, keep a journal of the foods you eat that involve microbes in their production. Write down the name of the food, the microbes involved (if known), and how they contribute to the food’s flavor, texture, or aroma. Reflect on how these microbes enhance your culinary experience.
Under adult supervision, conduct a controlled spoilage experiment. You could try fermenting cabbage to make sauerkraut or cucumbers to make pickles. Document the process, observe the changes, and try to identify the role of microbes in the transformation.
Choose a fermented food from a specific culinary culture and prepare a presentation about it. Discuss the role of microbes in its production, the flavors they create, and the cultural significance of the food. Use visuals to make your presentation more engaging.
With permission and supervision, organize a taste test of different fermented foods. Try to identify the unique flavors and aromas that microbes contribute to each food. Discuss your observations with your classmates and try to understand why some people might find certain microbial flavors more enjoyable than others.
Microbes – microscopic organisms, especially bacteria, viruses, and fungi, that exist in many habitats and play a crucial role in nutrient cycling – The yogurt contains live microbes that aid in digestion.
Flavor – the distinctive taste or quality of a food or drink – The spices add a rich flavor to the soup.
Food – any nutritious substance that people or animals eat or drink or that plants absorb in order to maintain life and growth – Our local grocery store carries a wide variety of organic food.
Safety – the condition of being protected from harm, injury, or danger – The restaurant has strict safety guidelines in place to ensure a clean and healthy environment.
Fermentation – the chemical breakdown of a substance by bacteria, yeasts, or other microorganisms, typically involving effervescence and the giving off of heat – The production of beer involves fermentation of the ingredients.
Aroma – a distinctive, typically pleasant smell – The aroma of freshly baked bread filled the kitchen.
Yeast – a single-celled fungus that is used in brewing and baking to convert sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide – The bread recipe requires the addition of yeast to the dough.
Cheese – a food made from the pressed curds of milk – The cheese shop had a wide selection of artisanal cheese.
Chocolate – a food in the form of a paste or solid block made from roasted and ground cacao seeds, typically sweetened – The bakery’s signature dessert was a rich and decadent chocolate cake.
Cultures – microorganisms such as bacteria and yeasts that are used to make fermented foods – The production of yogurt requires the addition of cultures to the milk.
Controlled spoilage – the process of intentionally spoiling food in a controlled manner to enhance its flavor or preservation – Some types of cheese are made by a process of controlled spoilage.
Bread dough – a mixture of flour, water, yeast, and other ingredients used in making bread – The baker kneaded the bread dough until it was smooth and elastic.
