Here is a book review on fermented foods in China. When you think about (EM) Effective Microorganisms from Japan and (IMO) Indigenous Microoganisms from Korea, you realize you can learn about agricultural applications of fermented soil and foliar cultures by learning about fermented foods and microbiology. Soil biology and microbial applications become clearer when you study the whole process and the culture from which they emerge.
Regards, Steve Diver ================================================== Book review in: Food Research International Volume 35, Issue 6 , 2002 , Pages 595-596 By Danji Fukushima Noda Institute for Scientific Research Noda-shi Chiba-ken 278-0037 Japan Science and Civilization in China, Volume 6, Part V: Fermentations and Food Science H. T. Huang. Cambridge University Press, 2001, pp. 741. ISBN 0-521-6527-7. Price: $150.00 This book is part of "Science and Civilisation in China" series and focused on the scientific basis and historical background of the fermentations and food processing technologies that are the mainstay of the Chinese dietary system. The Introduction described in Chapter (a) begins with a survey of the food resources in ancient China, and an account of how the food materials were prepared, cooked, and presented for consumption. It is followed by Chapter (b), which is a review on the literature and sources used in exploring the processing technology. The main topic appears in Chapter (c): the fermentation technology and its evolution to the production of alcoholic drinks in their various manifestations. Included also is a comparison of the very different technologies between East Asia and the West for converting grains into alcoholic beverages and an explanation of the reason for this difference. The next topic discussed in Chapter (d) is the processing of soybeans to convert to palatable, nutritious food products, such as bean curds (non-fermented) or soy nuggets, soy pastes, soy sauce (fermented), and others. Chapter (e) is on food processing and preservation, including pasta and filamentous noodles. The subsequent topic described in Chapter (f) is tea processing. Chapter (g) relates to nutrition, which is focused on the natural history of disease in China due to nutritional deficiency. Chapter (h) ends the volume with a series of reflections on how nature, technology, and human intervention have induced the discovery and innovation of processed foods in traditional China. The most characteristic feature in the fermentation technology in East Asia is the outstanding role of molded grain mass of Aspergillus, Rhizopus, and/or Mucor, known as chhu or koji. This unique ingredient, mold ferment, was developed originally for making alcoholic drinks from grains in ancient China, but there was no parallel invention in the early civilization in the West. The author has ascribed this difference to the nature (cultivated grains and environment) and technology (prior art of fabricating a pottery steamer) through the speculation from ancient classical literature. In China, the grains, which are millet and rice, contain soft kernels that can be directly boiled or steamed. The climate in China is hot and humid in summer. Plant residues of both grains are favorable to fungal growth. As a result, the air over the Neolithic communities in China might have been loaded with spores of these fungi. The conditions thus promoted must have been appropriate for spores to find a suitable site on the steamed granules to stimulate germination and growth thereafter. On the other hand, in ancient Sumeria and Egypt, the major grains were wheat and barley. Their hard kernels had to be ground into meal or flour before they could be cooked. A smooth paste prepared from flour would have a limited surface to attract airborne fungal spores. Further, in the dry climate of the Near East, the air over the Neolithic communities was probably deficient of the desired type of fungi. Furthermore in these situations, there was the prior art of fabricating a pottery steamer, by which they could prepare granules heavily laden with water. Contrary to this speculation by the author, the recent experimental data (Yamashita, 1997) on mold ferment clearly show that there is scarcely contamination of fungus spores from air to grains. Most of the spores come from uncooked grains, husks, straw, etc.; fungi grow better in uncooked grains rather than in cooked grains, as long as soaked and cracked grains are used. Moreover, it is possible to make alcoholic drinks in a natural way by using uncooked grains only. Therefore, there must have been adequate fungal growth on a cracked barley or wheat mass in the ancient West. In fact, uncooked wheat or barley is mostly used in the making of mold ferment at present in Deng and Bao). The situation without parallel invention on mold ferment between East and West probably depends upon the difference in the acceptability of fungi. In the ancient West, they would not have found any value in the molded grains other than a sign of spoilage. This book is filled with a great deal of information available in the classical and mediaeval literatures. Based on these historical investigations are discussed the developments in the fermentations and food technologies during the period from the ancient era to the nineteenth century in China. The description is not always concise and repetition of the same discussions is frequently observed. These drawbacks, however, do not detract from the advantages: there are many clear tables and illustrations to facilitate reader's comprehension. This is the first history of Chinese food technology in a Western language. Currently, Chinese cuisine is being enjoyed and appreciated in many parts of the world, without recognition of the technologies involved in preparation of the characteristic ingredients used for Chinese cooking. Therefore, this book should be of great use to fill this gap. References Bao, 1982. Bao, Q. A. (1982). J. Brewing Soc. Japan, 77(7), 439–445. . Deng and Zhang, 1997. Deng, S. P., & Zhang, R. L.J. Brewing Soc. Japan 92 1 (1997), pp. 57–58. Yamashita, 1997. Yamashita, M. (1997). J. Brewing Soc. Japan, 92(5), 310–321; 92(7), 486–498). ================================================== ==================================================
