Food & Cooking
What is Fermentation?
Fermentation is a process where microbes like yeast and bacteria break down sugars into simpler substances such as alcohol, acids, or gases. It's how we get bread, yogurt, cheese, beer, and many pickles.
See it, don’t just read it.
Watch a 2-minute lesson with voice + animation that explains fermentation.
Key things to understand
- 1Microorganisms convert sugars without needing oxygen.
- 2Yeast makes alcohol and CO₂ (bread rise, beer, wine); bacteria make acids (yogurt, sauerkraut).
- 3It preserves food and develops complex flavors.
- 4It's both an ancient food art and a modern industrial process.
Frequently asked questions
- How does bread rise?
- Yeast ferments sugars in the dough, releasing carbon dioxide gas that gets trapped and puffs it up.
- Is fermentation the same as rotting?
- No — fermentation is controlled microbial activity that preserves and flavors food; rotting is uncontrolled spoilage.
- What foods are fermented?
- Bread, yogurt, cheese, beer, wine, kimchi, sauerkraut, soy sauce, and many more.