ABSTRACT
Fermentation is one of the oldest, and remains one of the most economical, methods of producing and preserving traditional foods in China. These delicacy foods are made from ordinary agricultural products or byproducts through microbial fermentation to generate unique flavors and aromas. In China, there are many kinds of traditional fermented food products, which have a history that is centuries long. The main products include alcoholic beverages such as white wine and yellow wine, fermented condiments, and foods such as
soy sauce, vinegar, cooking wine, Jiang, fermented tofu, Chinese bread, fermented meats and vegetables, as well as fermented tea. These fermented Chinese foods, in a broader term, have played a very important role in Chinese cuisines for thousands of years. They have not only contributed greatly to the unique palatability of Chinese foods, many of them are of beneficial to human’s health and wellness. Today as the natural sciences and technology are rapidly advancing, the ancient methods of making fermented foods in China are also changing gradually through modern microbiology and biotechnology.
