Tamang Jyoti Prakash, Jeyaram Kumaraswamy, Rai Amit Kumar, Mukherjee Pulok K
DAICENTER (DBT-AIST International Centre for Translational and Environmental Research) and Bioinformatics Centre, Department of Microbiology, Sikkim University, Science Building, Tadong, Gangtok 737102, Sikkim, India.
Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD), Takyelpat, Imphal 795001, Manipur, India.
Food Res Int. 2021 Oct;148:110633. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2021.110633. Epub 2021 Jul 29.
The Eastern Himalayan regions of India, Nepal and Bhutan have more than 200 varieties of unsurpassed ethnic fermented foods and alcoholic beverages, which are lesser known outside the world. However, these ethnic foods are region- and community-specific, unique and some are exotic and rare, which include fermented vegetables, bamboo shoots, soybeans, cereals, milk (cow and yak), meats, fishes, and cereal-based alcoholic beverages and drinks. Ethnic communities living in the Eastern Himalayas have invented the indigenous knowledge of utilization of unseen microorganisms present in and around the environment for preservation and fermentation of perishable plant or animal substrates to obtain organoleptically desirable and culturally acceptable ethnic fermented food and alcoholic beverages. Some ethnic fermented products and traditionally prepared dry starters for production of alcoholic beverages of North Eastern states of India and Nepal were scientifically studied and reported till date, and however, limited publications are available on microbiological and nutritional aspects of ethnic fermented foods of Bhutan except on few products. Most of the beneficial microorganisms isolated from some ethnic fermented foods of the EH are listed in microbial food cultures (MFC) safe inventory. This study is aimed to review the updates on the beneficial importance of abundant microbiota and health-promoting benefits and functionalities of some ethnic fermented foods of the Eastern Himalayan regions of North East India, Nepal and Bhutan.
印度、尼泊尔和不丹的东喜马拉雅地区拥有200多种无与伦比的民族发酵食品和酒精饮料，这些在世界其他地方鲜为人知。然而，这些民族食品具有地域和社区特色，独特且有些具有异国风情且稀有，包括发酵蔬菜、竹笋、大豆、谷物、牛奶（牛和牦牛）、肉类、鱼类以及谷物基酒精饮料和饮品。生活在东喜马拉雅地区的民族社区发明了利用环境中及周围看不见的微生物的本土知识，用于易腐植物或动物底物的保存和发酵，以获得感官上令人满意且文化上可接受的民族发酵食品和酒精饮料。到目前为止，对印度东北部和尼泊尔一些民族发酵产品以及传统制备的用于生产酒精饮料的干发酵剂进行了科学研究和报道，然而，除了少数产品外，关于不丹民族发酵食品微生物学和营养方面的出版物有限。从东喜马拉雅地区一些民族发酵食品中分离出的大多数有益微生物都列入了微生物食品文化（MFC）安全清单。本研究旨在综述印度东北部、尼泊尔和不丹东喜马拉雅地区一些民族发酵食品中丰富微生物群的有益重要性以及促进健康的益处和功能的最新情况。
