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Ogatatei Fermentation School

About fermented foods

Ogatatei Fermentation School

What image do you have of fermentation?

Simply put, fermentation is the process by which substances are transformed by the action of microorganisms. It may be fair to say that fermentation began as a natural phenomenon.

So, in what country and in what year do you think fermentation began?

As far back as China, fermentation technology has been well developed since ancient times, and it is said that fermented beverages were already being produced as early as 7000 BC.

It is said that beer was being made in the Middle East (Mesopotamia), around present-day Iraq, as early as 4000 BC.

Around 3000 BC, fermented foods such as bread and yogurt had been produced in Egypt and India for a long time. It seems certain that these civilizations played a major role in the early development of fermentation technology.

So when did fermented foods start to be made in Japan?

It began as a preserved food in the Jomon period, evolved further under the influence of China and the Korean peninsula, and in the Heian period, fermented foods were highly valued by aristocrats and monks as an important source of nutrition.

Fermentation technology was further developed, and miso, soy sauce, vinegar, and other products became widely available during the Edo period, and continue to do so to this day.

I firmly believe that we adults have a role to play in passing on the wisdom of fermentation from the people of the past to the next generation.

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