Taste the future: Fermented plant-based foods made with biosolutions 

As the quest for the perfect dairy and meat alternative intensifies, the challenge has been to achieve that elusive trifecta: mouthfeel, taste, and texture. Historically, bases like for instance fava beans have posed a culinary conundrum—not only tough on the tongue but also a digestive dilemma. Yet, thanks to cutting-edge science and the magic of fermentation, the game is changing.

Fermentation, the age-old process beloved by bakers, brewers, and kimchi aficionados alike, is now the darling of plant-based food scientists. By harnessing this natural wonder, they’ve cracked the code to transform humble legumes into delectable dairy and meat stand-ins. Fermentation breaks down those stubborn compounds in various crops, making them easier to digest and packing them with a flavor punch that’s often missing in plant-based fare. This time-honored craft turns what was once a gastronomic gamble into a culinary delight.

Let us explore how fermentation, orchestrated by biology-based solutions such as cultures, is reshaping the landscape of plant-based cuisine, giving rise to proteins that sizzle on the grill and creamy “vegurts” (plant-based yogurt alternatives) brimming with probiotic goodness. With each bite, these delectable dishes tantalize the taste buds and leave a double-satisfying taste in one's mouth, knowing that their production aligns with a growing demand for plant-based foods helping us meet the needs of a growing population.
 

So, how does fermentation figure in plant-based foods?

For thousands of years, humans have been fermenting plant products like fruits, leaves, and roots to create a variety of foods and beverages. For example, wine from fermented grapes, bread from fermented dough, chocolates from fermented cocoa beans, miso from fermented red beans, or kimchi from fermented cabbage. Not to mention the coffee, tea and olives we love, without even thinking of it as fermented plant-based foods.

However, it was only recently in the early 19th century that scientists discovered that microbes like bacteria and fungi cause fermentation. It took almost another hundred years for research in food science, biochemistry, microbiology and other fields to understand why certain foods taste, smell, or feel the way they do. And this information has resulted in a revolution in fermented plant-based foods.

We will focus on two major food categories where fermented plant-based foods are causing an unprecedented disruption: meat and dairy. To understand this, we shall first understand the basics of why meat and milk taste the way they do.

^{Amino acids give plant based meat more bite}

Fermentation and flavors – Umami and Kokumi

If you’re a fan of food shows you must have heard the term umami a lot. Ever wondered what it means?

Japanese scientist Dr Kikunae Ikeda first identified the taste and called it umami which translates into “essence of deliciousness” – we commonly refer to it as ‘savoriness’.

Dr Ikeda linked the umami taste to the presence of glutamate – a natural chemical categorized as amino acid in technical terms – which is present in all living organisms. If you’ve used MSG, a household savory flavor enhancer, in cooking, you have an idea of what umami tastes like!

Kokumi is also a Japanese term, which means “rich taste”. It is the depth and complexity of the flavors of a food item. It’s the difference in richness of flavors when you’ve been cooking a dish for just five minutes versus when you cook it for a longer time. Kokumi is the result of certain amino acids present in peptides, which are building blocks of proteins, present in all living things.

Let’s take the example of soup. Which soup would you prefer – one made by boiling tomatoes in water for 15 minutes along with some salt and pepper added to it, or a soup made by boiling tomatoes, onions, celery, garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper in water for one hour? Obviously, you would choose the second option!

Why? Because the second version of soup has more umami – flavors from different vegetables and herbs – and also more kokumi – richness of flavors due to being boiled for a long time.

While there are other factors too that contribute towards the meaty taste, like iron present in the blood, umami and kokumi are major characteristics of meat taste. And guess which other kinds of foods are high on umami and kokumi? Yes, fermented plant-based foods!

As has been highlighted before, all living organisms have glutamate and peptides. Researchers found that fermentation of plant-based products like cabbage, soy, or red bean heightens the glutamate and peptide content in the final fermented product, giving rise to umami and kokumi. That’s why fermented products like kimchi, soy sauce, and miso are such flavor-packed foods.

It did not take long for food producers to realize that fermentation is a key to making plant-based proteins more meat-like in taste. They also realized that fermentation does not just add umami and kokumi to the proteins derived from sources like soy, pea, and wheat but also reduces or masks the bitter ‘beany’ taste of plants. With fermentation, plant-based protein foods are yummier and more flavorful than ever. 

What about the texture of plant-based proteins?

When it comes to texture, plant-based proteins like those from peas, soy, or wheat often fall short. They tend to be crumbly and lack the satisfying bounce and firmness of meat. In culinary terms, they're missing that characteristic "bite" that makes chewing a steak a hearty experience.

To understand why, let's compare plant-based proteins to their animal-based counterparts: Think of proteins like buildings made of building blocks.

These "building blocks" of proteins are called amino acids. In plant proteins, amino acids do not form cohesive structures like in animals, and hence, their structure is crumbly and soft.

During fermentation, the building blocks of proteins – amino acids – undergo a transformation rearranging these haphazardly placed amino acids into organized structures. This restructuring gives plant proteins a firmer texture, like their animal-based counterparts. As a result, fermented plant-based proteins offer a satisfying "bite" and resilience, similar to meat. When grilled, these proteins caramelize beautifully, adding depth and richness to dishes, just like traditional meat.

Fermentation is caused by microbes like bacteria and fungi, converting carbohydrates into energy for survival. For example, when you mix napa cabbage in spices for fermentation into kimchi, a bacteria called lactobacillus starts eating the carbohydrates present inside the cabbage. Over a few days, the bacteria continue to eat carbohydrates and release an acid called lactic acid as a byproduct, making the kimchi pungent and adding an umami flavor to it.
 

Fermentation of plant bases to make alternatives to dairy yoghurt

Fermentation has emerged as a game-changer in the realm of plant-based vegurts too, revolutionizing the way these dairy alternatives are produced and enjoyed. While vegurts from plant bases derived from nuts and oats are made without fermentation, they also suffer from the issues of poor texture, taste, and mouthfeel. However, with fermentation, all these issues can be substantially improved.

This was a breakthrough because making plant based vegurt without fermentation required the addition of starch, oil, and other compounds to bring out a creamy and consistent texture. However, with fermentation, the plant base gets fermented into creamy vegurt without any additives. Fermentation also unlocks complex flavors and textures inherent in plant bases, resulting in a vegurt that is both delicious and wholesome.

Better health, shorter labels

Apart from improving the texture, taste, bite, and mouthfeel of plant-based foods, fermentation serves two more major purposes: shortening the list of ingredients and unlocking nutrition packed inside plants that otherwise isn’t accessible.

Shorter labels:
Plant-based proteins that are not fermented (or subjected to enzymatic processing) need a host of products added to them, for better taste and texture. These might include gum or starch for improving texture, yeast extracts for umami flavor, stabilizers like carrageenan, natural colors, and sweeteners or taste enhancers to mask or neutralize undesirable taste notes from plants. Although these products are allowed to be added, most people do not like to see a long list of ingredients. With the help of fermentation or specific enzymes, the ingredients list can be kept short and familiar with none of the extra taste and texture-enhancing products.

Better health:
Apart from proteins, plant sources are also packed with a wide range of essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals. However, they are not completely digested by the human gut because plant nutrition is bound within strong structures that are not easy to break down. However, during fermentation, these structures are remarkably broken down, making the nutrition inside them easily accessible to us. Alongside, enzymatic solutions exist to the same effect.

For example, phytates, which are found in many plant-based foods like grains, legumes, and nuts, can inhibit the absorption of minerals such as iron, zinc, and calcium. However, during fermentation, the phytates are degraded increasing the availability of minerals for our guts to absorb. Additionally, fermentation can also increase the availability of certain vitamins, such as vitamin B12 and folate in plant-based foods.
 

Embracing green eating for a healthier future

The surging demand for fermented and other plant-based foods signifies a sweeping embrace of green eating—an ethos that celebrates environmental mindfulness and the embrace of nourishing, wholesome culinary offerings. At the forefront of this movement are biosolutions, which play a pivotal role in enhancing the allure of plant-based cuisine through the art of fermentation, alongside cutting-edge enzyme technology. Together, these innovations are instrumental in shaping a healthier future.

Amidst this transformation, we find ourselves navigating a diverse array of food options, seamlessly blending enticing plant-based alternatives with cherished traditional favorites. Encouragingly, through the integration of biosolutions such as cultures, enzymes, and innovative combinations into conventional food production, the industry can fortify its sustainability efforts, curtail waste, and diminish carbon emissions.

Let us raise a toast to the culinary visionaries and the pioneering solutions they employ to forge a more delectable, environmentally conscious, and efficient tomorrow!