What's your favorite fermented food?

[spinbaby]

Food, not drink. I got into a discussion about fermented food the other day and was surprised at how many foods are either fermented, or in some other way courtesy of a batch of microorganisms. There's sauerkraut, soy sauce, kim chee, fish sauce, natto, bread, blue cheese...the list goes on endlessly

I'm partial to soy sauce myself.

[Swede]

1. I'd have to go with bread.

I love freshly baked bread.

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Marmite - it pretty much *is* microorganisms

Whilst the actual process is secret, the general method for making yeast extract on a commercial scale is to add salt to a suspension of yeast making the solution hypertonic, which leads to the cells shrivelling up; this triggers "autolysis", in which the yeast self-destructs. The dying yeast cells are then heated to complete their breakdown, after which the husks (yeast have thick cell walls which would detract from the smooth texture of the final product) are separated out. As with other yeast extracts, Marmite contains free glutamic acids, which are analogous to monosodium glutamate (MSG).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmite#Manufacture

"Suspension of yeast" = sludge from beer brewing.

[spinbaby]

10. Urp

I've heard bad things about Marmite.

[tismyself]

3. fish sauce

I sprinkled some around the extra bedroom to get rid of a really bad "house guest" who had been freeloading for 3 months.

[DarkTirade]

4. Other than dairy products, I really don't eat a lot of fermented foods.

And I don't even eat a whole lot of dairy products for that matter.

[montanto]

5. Beer.

[DarkTirade]

12. That's not food unless it's the really GOOD beer.

:P

[spinbaby]

14. It should be at least Guinness

Anything less is beer-flavored soda pop.

[AwakeAtLast]

6. Worcestershire sauce

:9

We go through about a bottle or more a month.

:9

[spinbaby]

9. I think that qualifies as fish sauce

No?

[Texasgal]

7. Fish sauce

YUMMMM!

[BarenakedLady]

8. Now I'm craving sauerkraut

Thanks a lot!

x(

[grasswire]

11. dill pickles made the old way.

I make them every year. Of course, there's the risk of botulism on the downside.

[spinbaby]

13. Hey, what's a little botulism

None of these yummy foods could have been developed under today's hygiene standards.

[Jokerman]

15. Genoa Salami

Didn't know until recently that salami is fermented.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genoa_salami

[applegrove]

16. Brie. I love brie.