Fermentation: A 9,000-year-old tradition that spans continents and cultures

In India, idli, a steamed black gram (urad dal) and rice dish, is said to have originated as early as the ninth to tenth century, finding mention in Sanskrit and Kannada texts.

Fermentation is hardly a modern process; it dates back to thousands of years. Studies show that Mesolithics of Sweden fermented fish near the Baltic Sea 9,000 years ago. Early humans are likely to have stumbled on the process, in their attempts to preserve food. Studies show that fermented drinks were made in prehistoric China. According to a study published in PNAS, a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences, US, a beverage fermented from fruit, honey and rice was produced in China around the 7th millennium BCE. Studies also show that beer was brewed by ancient Egyptians around 5,000 BCE. In Mesopotamia, Sumerian tablets show recipes of a barley-based beverage akin to beer, around 4000 BCE. 

Sauerkraut, a fermented food that’s made from finely chopped cabbage and salt, is also said to have originated in China more than 2,000 years ago. The food, which means ‘sour cabbage’, is now an invariable part of German cuisine. In Korean cuisine, there’s kimchi which refers to salted vegetables.

In India too, idli, a steamed black gram (urad dal) and rice dish, is said to have originated as early as the ninth to tenth century, finding mention in Sanskrit and Kannada texts. Yoghurt, kanji, pickles, dhoklas and dosas are just some of the innumerable examples of fermented foods in India. 

(Origin Story attempts to satiate your curiosity about the history of a certain ingredient or cuisine.)