Cultures

Acetic acid bacteria — converts ethanol to acetic acid (vinegar) and produces the cellulose 'mother of vinegar' mat; obligate aerobe distinguishes vinegars from alcoholic ferments

The koji mold — designated as Japan's kokkin (national microbe), the domesticated descendant of Aspergillus flavus selected for high enzyme production and absence of mycotoxins

The soy-sauce koji — closely related to A. oryzae but adapted to higher-salt environments; the specific organism behind shoyu, tamari, and related ferments

The natto bacterium — Bacillus subtilis variant selected for polyglutamic acid production (the stringy mucilage) and nattokinase enzyme; also contributes to Korean and Chinese soybean ferments

The wild beer yeast — slow-fermenting, producing barnyard, horse-blanket, and funky-fruit aromatics; defines lambic, gueuze, and many natural ciders

The kombucha SCOBY — a layered cellulose mat hosting bacteria and yeasts in symbiosis; converts sweet tea into the tangy, slightly effervescent kombucha drink over 7-14 days

The lactic acid bacteria — the most consequential microbial family in fermented foods, present in dairy, vegetable, grain, and meat ferments worldwide

The most acid-tolerant of the major LAB — dominant in the late phase of lacto-vegetable fermentations, drives the final pH to 3.4-4.0

The starter of nearly every lacto-vegetable fermentation — heterofermentative, CO₂-producing, opens the anaerobic environment that L. plantarum later completes

Cauliflower-like grain-bound community of bacteria and yeasts in a kefiran polysaccharide matrix; ferments fresh milk to milk kefir in 12-48 hours at room temperature

The catch-all for ferments where no single organism dominates — wild ambient fermentation expressing climate, substrate, and place across 32 traditions in the encyclopedia

The tempeh mold — Rhizopus mycelium binds soybeans into a solid cake; one of the few fungi domesticated for food outside East Asian koji traditions

Brewer's, baker's, and wine yeast — the most domesticated microbe in human history, converting sugar to ethanol and CO₂ across thousands of fermentation traditions

Wild LAB and yeast community on flour-water medium; the foundation of every traditional leavened bread tradition before commercial yeast

Translucent gel-like grains in dextran matrix; ferments sugar water (often with dried fruit) into a slightly effervescent dairy-free probiotic drink