Microorganisms and Nutritional value of Ethnic fermented foods and alcoholic beverages of North East India

Abstract

Very few have realized that the North East India is the centre of the diverse food culture comprising fermented and non-fermented ethnic foods and alcoholic beverages. More than 250 different types of familiar and less-familiar ethnic fermented foods and alcoholic beverages are prepared and consumed by the different ethnic people of North East India, which include milk, vegetable, bamboo, soybean, meat, fish, cereal and alcoholic beverages. Diverse microorganisms ranging from filamentous fungi to enzyme and alcohol producing yeasts, lactic acid bacteria, bacilli and microccoci are associated with fermentation and production of ethnic foods and alcoholic drinks. Ethnic foods are fermented naturally, except the alcoholic beverages which are produced by using consortia of microorganisms in the form of dry, cereal-based starter. Diversity within the species of lactic acid bacteria and bacilli has created the ethnic foods with different sensory characteristics. It has demonstrated that functional microorganisms present in the ethnic fermented foods of North East have many biological functions enhancing the health-promoting benefits, bio-preservation of perishable foods, bio-enrichment of nutritional value, protective properties and <span style="mso-bidi-font-style:italic">therapeutic values.

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