ABSTRACT
Legumes and cereals play an important role in the traditional diet in several regions of the world. In Egypt, cereals occupy the first place in the human diet as a source of calories, with proteins and legumes as the second. Cereals are staple foods in several countries of the world. They are good sources of carbohydrates, protein-, dietary fibre, B-vitamins and minerals. Cereal grains are processed into a wide variety of ingredients or foods for humans and animal feed. The food groups that are considered the pillars of the traditional Egyptian diet include cereals, legumes and vegetables. Conventional food processing methods used for cereal and legumes in Egypt include soaking, germination, and fermentation and are frequently used during household processing. Fermentation does not only enhance the nutrient content of foods due to biosynthesis of vitamins, essential amino acids, and proteins, it also improves the protein quality and fiber digestibility.
