ABSTRACT
This chapter describes how the filamentous fungi has been used in the past and are used in the present in various areas of the world in connection with man's eternal attempt to satisfy his urge for food. It also describes the potential which such fungi seem to possess for making large contributions to the world protein supply. The major past and present contributions of fungi to man's food supply must be sought in the Orient; but as the Occident encounters the population pressures already encountered many years ago in the Orient, it may be that a more rational attitude toward fungi will emerge. In the Orient several mold-type fungi have been used for centuries in the preparation of a variety of food products, but in the Occident this use has been restricted to the preparation of two types of cheese.
