Ethnic Fermented Foods and Beverages of Assam

Barooah, Madhumita; Bora, Sudipta Sankar; Goswami, Gunajit

doi:10.1007/978-981-15-1486-9_3

Cited by 8 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Kahudi-Kahudi, or Pani tenga, is an Assamese delicacy made from fermented mustard. It is made by combining extracts of tamarind or the acidic Garcinia pedunculata (Thekera) with coarsely crushed mustard (Barooah et al, 2020). A spontaneous and unregulated solid-state fermentation method yields kahudi (Goswami et al, 2017).…”

Section: Sujen-mentioning

confidence: 99%

Ethnopharmacology of Assamese Fermented Foods: Traditional Wisdom, Therapeutic Potential, and Evolutionary Insights

Sarmah,

Sarma

2023

J. Adv. Zool.

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The migration patterns of humans from various regions over extended periods form the ancestors of the present-day ethnic communities in Assam, a region located in Northeast India. Throughout the process of assimilation, the people of this area developed the skill of fermenting different types of perishable and inedible raw agricultural products into tasty, preserved, and superior foods and drinks pleasing to the senses. Fermented foods have played a crucial role in the cultural and dietary practices of diverse ethnic communities worldwide since ancient times. Particularly in developing countries, their inclusion holds significant importance as it provides a cost-effective method of preserving food while enhancing its nutritional and sensory attributes. The native population of Northeast India, particularly in Assam, has a long-standing tradition of preparing and consuming various smoked, sun-dried, fermented, and salted fish products. This practice, which originated from the astute observations of our ancestors, has resulted in a wide range of fermented food items and beverages that are unique to this region. Among these, Judima, Rice beer, Apong, Jou, Sujen, Khorisa, Kahudi, Napham, Kharoli, Xaj-pani, Chokot, Shidol, and traditional fermented fish products like karati, bordia, and lashim hold significant prominence. These ethnic fermented foods not only influence the local healthcare system but also possess potential therapeutic benefits for disease prevention and managing physiological disorders. The phytochemical constituents present in these fermented foods, individually or in combination, exhibit noteworthy therapeutic potential. The objective of this review is to provide an in-depth understanding of the diverse range of ethnic fermented foods in Northeast India, specifically Assam, their impact on health, and the evolutionary development of their preparation techniques.

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Section: Sujen-mentioning

confidence: 99%

Ethnopharmacology of Assamese Fermented Foods: Traditional Wisdom, Therapeutic Potential, and Evolutionary Insights

Sarmah,

Sarma

2023

J. Adv. Zool.

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“…The Mishing community of Assam prepare and preserve apong kusure/apop pitha starter cake where the unusual yeast Rhodotorula taiwanensis was found to predominate (Parasar et al, 2017). The Rabhas, another major ethnic community, perpetuate starter cultures called bakhor where the persistence of Meyerozyma carribica was reported (Tanti et al, 2010;Narzary et al, 2016;Parasar et al, 2017;Barooah et al, 2020). The Kachari community of Assam prepare modor pitha starter cultures that contain a consortia of S. cerevisiae, W. anomalus, and C. glabrata (Parasar et al, 2017;Anupama et al, 2018).…”

Section: Diversity Of Yeasts In Starter Cultures Of Northeast Indiamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In an earlier report, FIGURE 1 | Map of northeast India indicating ethnic communities (C), starter material/cake (S), and fermented beverages (B) associated with ethnic culture of the seven states. This illustration is based on reports by various researchers on yeast population harbored in the starter cakes and their beverages (Tamang and Sarkar, 1995;Thapa, 2001;Tsuyoshi et al, 2005;Jeyaram et al, 2008;Tanti et al, 2010;Das et al, 2012;Buragohain et al, 2013;Narzary et al, 2016;Parasar et al, 2017;Anupama et al, 2018;Mishra et al, 2018;Sha et al, 2018;Barooah et al, 2020;Majumdar, 2020;Nath et al, 2020a;Thanzami and Lalhlenmawia, 2020;Thapa and Tamang, 2020;Wahengbam et al, 2020).…”

Section: Yeast-yeast Interaction and Involvement Of Qsms In Fermented Beveragesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Linking the Diversity of Yeasts Inherent in Starter Cultures to Quorum Sensing Mechanism in Ethnic Fermented Alcoholic Beverages of Northeast India

Nath

Parasar

Sarma

2021

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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In this review, the relevance of diversity of yeasts and their interactive association in household ethnic fermentation are discussed. The longstanding traditional household fermentation practice involves preparation of fermented product such as alcoholic beverages from various indigenous agricultural products with the help of microorganisms cultivated from local environment and perpetuated for hundreds of years through generations indoctrinating an indigenous knowledge system. Northeast India is known for its rich physiographic and geo-demographic diversity and is home to several ethnicities who follow unique practices of household traditional fermentation. The diversity of yeasts present within the microbial inoculum used for fermentation by different indigenous communities has been keenly studied and reported to be unique in spite of their common source for starter substrates. Saccharomyces yeasts are primarily involved in alcoholic fermentation, whereas non-Saccharomyces yeasts, which are reportedly confined to a particular geographical region, have been reported to contribute toward the final outcome of fermentation produce. During fermentation, interaction among these large microbial communities and their resulting physiological expression within the fermentation micro-environment is believed to affect the final quality of the product. Mechanism of quorum sensing plays an important role in these interactions in order to maintain proportionality of different yeast populations wherein the quorum sensing molecules not only regulate population density but also effectively aid in enhancement of alcoholic fermentation. Additionally, various secondary metabolites, which are secreted as a result of inter-species interactions, have been found to affect the quality of beverages produced. This review concludes that diverse species of yeasts and their interaction within the fermentation micro-environment influence the sustainability and productivity of household ethnic fermentation.

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“…The seven sisters and one brother states of North East India cater to a large number of indigenous tribes and one such state is Assam. Assam has enormous reserve of ethnic food and beverages having distinct flavours such as Kahudi or Pani tenga (Goswami et al 2017), Posa Hukoti (Ghosh et al 2022), Kharoli (Barooah et al 2020), Sukoti (Barooah et al 2020), Sai-mod (Devi et al 2021), Jou (Nath et al 2019), Apong (Borah et al 2019), Xaaj (Kalita et al 2021), Namsing (Chowdhury et al 2019) etc.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ethnobotanical survey and preliminary phytochemical screening of Posa kumura: an uncharted ethnic food of Assam

Kalita

Middha²,

Bose³

et al. 2023

Ethnobot. Res. App.

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Background: India is a land of diverse ethnicity with plethora of ethnic foods. One of the ethnic foods is Posa kumura (a form prepared from matured fruit of Benincasa hispida) which is consumed in Assam. However, being not so popular, till date there is no written document to provide an evidence of its origin. Methods:The present ethnobotanical study consists of both online (Google form) and offline (field visits and interviews) survey with 918 informers of the state having different gender, age groups and occupation through semi-structured questionnaires along with the preliminary phytochemical analysis. Results:The findings revealed that of 918 respondents (559 male, 358 female and 01 transgender) from 35 districts of Assam, 372 consumes Posa kumura in various forms. Of the 372 people, 75.81% opined that the matured Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn. is placed in shade for varying periods of time for conversion to Posa kumura. Though the production process reported is similar, it is different in terms of how people intend to consume. Frying of Posa kumura (49%) was the most favoured mode of consumption followed by curry (27%), dry (6%) and pitha (6%). The age-old health benefits claimed by the consumer of Posa kumura includes improved digestion, anti-diabetic, promotes weight loss, etc. The preliminary phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of carbohydrates, reducing sugars, alkaloids, flavonoids, amino acids, phytosterols, saponins, coumarins. However, phenolics, tannins, phlobatannins, triterpenoids, lignins, quinones, anthraquinones, resins, fixed oils and fats were absent. Besides, Posa kumura also enhances milk production and helps prevent foot and mouth disease of cows.Conclusion: Thus, it can be inferred that the functional ingredients of this food lead to improvement in health in a holistic way.

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Ethnic Fermented Foods and Beverages of Assam

Cited by 8 publications

References 14 publications

Ethnopharmacology of Assamese Fermented Foods: Traditional Wisdom, Therapeutic Potential, and Evolutionary Insights

Ethnopharmacology of Assamese Fermented Foods: Traditional Wisdom, Therapeutic Potential, and Evolutionary Insights

Linking the Diversity of Yeasts Inherent in Starter Cultures to Quorum Sensing Mechanism in Ethnic Fermented Alcoholic Beverages of Northeast India

Ethnobotanical survey and preliminary phytochemical screening of Posa kumura: an uncharted ethnic food of Assam

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