What is Fermentation?

Abstract

Fermentation is any metabolic process in which microorganisms' activity creates a desirable change in food and beverages, whether it's increasing flavor, preserving foodstuffs, providing health benefits, or more. The word "ferment" comes from the Latin verb "fervere," which means "to boil." How Does Fermentation Work? To master fermentation, you need to understand the science behind the chemical process.  Microorganisms survive using carbohydrates (sugars, such as glucose) for energy and fuel.  Organic chemicals like adenosine triphosphate (ATP) deliver that energy to every part of a cell when needed. Microbes generate ATP using respiration. The study of fermentation and its practical uses is named zymology and originated in 1856 when French chemist Louis Pasteur demonstrated that fermentation was caused by yeast.