Fermented foods have been a food choice for centuries. The practice is defined as a transformation of a substance (organic food) caused by bacteria, yeasts, molds, and other microorganisms.
Complex organic catalysts and enzymes trigger a chemical response in the organic substance(s). In early history, this transformation was considered an act of the Divine. Since the practice occurred in the Jiahu village in China, where honey, rice, and beverages were made via fermentation.
Researchers suggest that the process of fermentation was most likely stumbled upon when people started using salt in food. The accidental discovery of salt’s preservative power later led to the ancient Chinese to begin inoculating foods with enzyme creating molds. In more modern times, the fermentation process is also used to make vitamins, antibiotics, and both gluconic and citric acid, in addition to its continued use on the preservation and transformation of foods and beverages.