Fermented beverages: Geographical distribution and bioactive compounds with health benefits

Abstract

Fermented beverages (FBs) hold a long tradition and contribution to the nutrition of many societies and cultures worldwide. Traditional fermentation has been empirically developed in ancient times as a process of preserving raw foods and at the same time production of new food and beverages with different sensorial characteristics, such as texture, flavor, and aroma, as well as nutritional value. FBs were produced using cereals, milk, fruits, vegetables, and tubers as substrates by spontaneous processes without knowledge about microorganisms and fermentation process. However, only in the last two centuries, the systematic basis of the preservation and conservation of food products has been established. Following the development of science, especially microbiology, the yeasts, bacteria, and fungi have been identified as the main actors in the fermentation process. This chapter gives an overview of the production of FBs with special attention to their geographical distribution and the content of microbial bioactive compounds.