In recent years, researchers have conducted extensive research and experiments on fermented foods, revealing that their true allure lies in their remarkable therapeutic benefits, rivaling those of pharmaceuticals. The fermented foods we consume daily are primarily classified as fermented grains, legumes, and dairy products. Their efficacy stems from the fact that during the fermentation process, microorganisms retain some of the original food's active ingredients, such as polysaccharides, dietary fiber, and bioflavonoids, which are beneficial to the body. They also break down some of the more harmful factors, such as oligosaccharides and flatulence-inducing agents found in legumes. Furthermore, fermented foods are generally low in fat, as the fermentation process consumes energy from carbohydrates, making them a popular health food for those seeking weight loss.

　　Drinks like baijiu, beer, rice wine, and vinegar are all fermented grain products, while sauces, soy sauce, fermented bean curd, and fermented black beans are all fermented legumes. Because we live on the Asian plate, we consume more of these two types of fermented foods and have a particular preference for them. The intense Olympic Games have just concluded, and with the competition heating up, let's take a look at how other countries consume fermented foods on their tables.

Delegation - Fermented Bean Products

Contestant No. 1: Sweet noodle sauce

　　The finished product of sweet noodle sauce is a bright, lustrous yellowish-brown or reddish-brown. It has a strong aroma of soy sauce and esters, and a primarily sweet flavor with a slight salty undertone. It's commonly used as a key condiment in stir-fries and braised dishes, including stir-fried pork and chicken. Besides being a seasoning, sweet noodle sauce is also commonly used as a dip for dishes like roast duck and green onions, or as a wrapper for snacks like pancakes. It can be categorized into two types: thin sweet noodle sauce and thick (dry) sweet noodle sauce. The former is typically bright yellow and fluid, and is primarily used for seasoning and making pickles. The latter is brownish-red and viscous, and is primarily used for seasoning.

Representative 1: Old Beijing Noodles with Soy Sauce

Representative 2: Beijing-style shredded pork

How to make Beijing-style shredded pork

Material collection diagram:

Slice the lean meat, then cut it into strips diagonally, marinate with half an egg white, 1 spoon of cornstarch, cooking wine and salt for 15 minutes

Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and a little sesame oil to the sweet noodle sauce, put it in a pot of hot water and steam for 15 minutes. (The above 2 steps are the key to making Beijing-style shredded pork, don't skip them)

Cut the scallions into thin strips and place them on a plate. Cut the tofu skin into cubes and set aside.

Heat the oil in a pan, add the marinated shredded pork and simmer until it changes color.

Use the base oil to fry the sweet noodle sauce, then add the shredded pork and stir fry until the sauce is evenly coated on the shredded pork. Wrap a piece of tofu skin with a little scallion and add the shredded pork. Hee hee, it smells so good, my son is full of praise for it.

1. Cutting the shredded meat diagonally can make the fried meat smooth and tender, and not woody.

2. Steaming the sweet noodle sauce with sesame oil in advance can further stimulate the aroma of the sauce.

Contestant No. 3: Fermented black beans Contestant No. 2: Fermented bean curd

　　Fermented tofu, also known as fermented bean curd, fermented nanru (soybean curd), fermented tofu (fermented bean curd), fermented tofu (sour bean curd), fermented tofu (sour bean curd), fermented tofu (cat milk), or fermented soy milk, varies depending on the region and its flavor. While the production process is generally similar, the flavor varies depending on the region. For example, Beijing's fermented tofu is red and sweet; Suzhou's is yellowish-white and delicate; and Sichuan's is bright red but spicy. Even stinky tofu, often loved but disliked by some, is actually a type of fermented tofu. Fermented tofu can be eaten plain, used as a dipping sauce, or used as a seasoning in cooking. The Chaozhou specialty snack, fermented tofu cake, is renowned for its rich flavor. Furthermore, over 200 years ago, in his "Suiyuan Food List," Yuan Mei commented that "Guangxi's white fermented tofu is the best," demonstrating the long history of this fermented product.

Representative 1: Fermented bean curd meat

How to make fermented bean curd meat

Prepare the main ingredients: pork belly with skin, fermented bean curd juice, scallions, ginger, star anise, and cinnamon. Rinse the pork belly, drain well, and set aside. Place the pork belly in a pot with cold water and add an appropriate amount of cooking wine. Cook until the blood foam completely separates, skimming it off with a spoon. Cook until it's 80% done, meaning it can be pierced through with a chopstick. Remove from the heat, let cool slightly, and then cut into mahjong pieces.

Cut the onion into small sections and the ginger into slices. Wash the wok and put it back on the fire. Pour in an appropriate amount of water. When the water is warm, add the meat, onion sections, ginger slices, aniseed, and cinnamon. Pour in an appropriate amount of cooking wine, then add the fermented bean curd juice and sugar.

Add a little salt and chicken essence, cover the pot, bring to a boil over high heat, then turn to low heat and simmer for an hour. After an hour, pick up the meat, place it skin-side down in a bowl, pour the soup into the bowl, put it in the steamer, and steam it over high heat for half an hour.

Place the steamed meat upside down on a plate with the skin facing up, drain the juice, and thicken it in a wok over high heat. Pour in sesame oil. Pour the juice over the fermented bean curd meat and garnish with coriander.

       Fermented bean curd pork is a very common dish, with many different varieties and styles across the country. In Henan, we usually cut the skinned pork belly into long slices, then boil and steam them. The resulting fermented bean curd pork is fat but not greasy, soft and delicious, and has a bright red color. It is almost a must-have dish at various banquets. I didn't buy much pork belly this time, so it wouldn't look good if sliced, so I cut it into cubes instead, which looks a bit like the fermented bean curd pork in the south, haha.

1. The fermented bean curd juice itself is salty enough, and salt is just used to supplement it. Don't add too much.

2. Pork belly refers to the meat beneath the pig's ribs, alternating between fat and lean, forming a three-layered pattern. Choosing the best quality pork belly can determine the success of this dish. When purchasing, carefully inspect the meat for freshness and the fat-to-lean ratio. Generally speaking, pork belly should have a shiny, brown-spotted skin, a rosy rosy lean portion, and a firm, elastic fat portion. A 50/50 fat-to-lean ratio is ideal. Also, be sure to buy pork belly with the skin on. Within the pork grade, the part with the skin attached is considered superior quality, while the lower, lower-quality portion is called the lower belly.

3. Put the pork belly in cold water. This will allow the impurities and blood foam in the meat to completely separate out, making the taste more prominent.

4. The function of sesame oil is to make the soup shiny, and the color will be better looking and more attractive when poured on the meat.

5. If the meat is difficult to arrange, you can cut it into large pieces, or tie it with straw or cotton rope like I did, which makes the shape more beautiful.

Representative 2: Pig's trotters with fermented bean curd sauce

How to make pig's trotters with fermented bean curd sauce

Blanch the pig's trotters (buy the kind with the trotters attached) and wash them thoroughly, otherwise there will be an unpleasant smell. (The hair is a bit tricky to deal with, so usually ask the butcher at the supermarket to deal with it first, and then use tweezers to remove it at home. Of course, there will be some fish that slip through the net, but don't worry too much about it.)

Put it into the electric pressure cooker, add ginger, garlic, wine, and aniseed, and stew until cooked.

Pour into a pan, add soy sauce, fermented bean curd juice, sugar, and cook slowly until the soup is thick.

This dish is not difficult to make. The fermented bean curd sauce from Xianheng Restaurant is more authentic in taste. It is also better to choose pig’s trotters from the hind legs. It takes a little time to wash them and adjust the seasoning. The dish is ready to be served with rich oil and red sauce.

This dish of pig's trotters with fermented bean curd sauce is seasoned with fermented bean curd sauce, which makes the pig's trotters more flavorful, has an attractive color, and the skin is very soft and glutinous.

　　Douchi (fermented black beans) is a bean product also known as da ku (big bitter bean paste), yin shi (shaded bean paste), you shu (you shu), and shi (food paste). In local dialects, it's called douchi ge (fermented black beans), doufa (dou fa), and douxian (dou xian). It's often mistakenly called dougu (dried black beans). During the Han and Wei dynasties, fermented black beans were a daily condiment and also used as medicine. Both the Qi Min Yao Shu (Essential Techniques for the People) and the Compendium of Materia Medica describe the preparation methods for both salty and light fermented black beans. The first dish I remember hearing about fermented black beans was a dish called "Fried Black Beans with Dace and Lettuce." That dish actually used canned fermented black beans to flavor the vegetables. I believe its popularity is due to the dish's accessible, homely flavor.

Representative 1: Stir-fried pork with black bean and spicy sauce

How to make stir-fried pork with black bean chili sauce

Material map:

Cut the pork into 2-3 mm slices, add appropriate amount of shredded ginger, 1 tablespoon of cooking wine, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of starch, and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil to the meat and marinate for more than 20 minutes

While the meat is marinating, you can prepare the ingredients. Cut the green garlic, clean it, and cut it into sections. Chop the onion and ginger.

Heat the oil in a wok, add more oil, stir-fry the chopped onion and ginger when the oil is 80% hot, then slide the meat slices in and stir-fry continuously. When the surface of the meat slices changes color, add the fermented black bean sauce and stir-fry together.

After evenly coating the meat slices with fermented black bean sauce, season with cooking sugar

Mix a teaspoon of starch and a tablespoon of cooking wine into a starch paste and cook it into the meat slices.

Add the green onions and stir-fry just before serving. Don't add the green onions too early as they will mature quickly (1 tablespoon is about 15 ml, 8-10 g; 1 teaspoon is about 5-6 ml, 4-5 g)

        Do you have a piece of meat or two frozen in your freezer? How can you make frozen meat more tender?

1. Thaw frozen meat with salt water. If you need to use the meat right out of the freezer, you can thaw it in light salt water. This will not only be faster but also more tender.

Second, marinate the meat with oil. After thawing, slice, dice, or shred the meat, marinate it with seasonings. Adding starch to the marinade will make it smoother and more tender. However, once it comes into contact with water, the meat will tend to stick together. Therefore, adding a small amount of oil (cooking oil or sesame oil) to the marinade will help the shredded meat slide into the pan. Since meat releases water and oil when heated, you can reduce the amount of oil used when stir-frying. Alternatively, you can fry the meat beforehand.

        If you don't have this chili sauce, you can use Pixian Doubanjiang instead, which tastes good. But be careful not to add salt when cooking with this sauce, or add less salt, because the chili sauce itself is salty, and adding salt will make it choking.

Representative 2: Steamed Spare Ribs with Black Bean Sauce

How to make steamed pork ribs with fermented black beans

Chop the fermented black beans slightly, mince the garlic, and slice the ginger.

Heat a little oil in the pan, add minced garlic and stir-fry until fragrant, then add fermented black beans and stir-fry for a while.

Mix the fried garlic and fermented black beans with the spareribs and add cooking wine (I used Fengshou Guihua Chen)

Add sugar and a little salt, because fermented black beans are already salty.

Add a spoonful of starch

Add ginger slices

Mix well together

Set aside to marinate for half an hour

Add enough water to the pot at one time, bring to a boil over high heat, then turn to medium heat and steam the ribs for 40 minutes.

       After experimenting, I found that, aside from the stronger flavor of fermented black beans and the darker color of the ribs, the taste was still very authentic and delicious! It’s also delicious and simple~ Even a novice cook can easily make it, right?

Contestant No. 4: Doubanjiang

　　Doubanjiang (fermented bean paste) is a fermented, reddish-brown seasoning produced through complex biochemical reactions involving various microorganisms. Its primary ingredients are soybeans or broad beans and flour. Sesame oil, soybean oil, MSG, chili peppers, and other ingredients are added to the production process to accommodate consumer preferences, increasing its variety. Doubanjiang is an essential condiment for Sichuan cuisine, with the most authentic Sichuan varieties being the ones produced at Linjiang Temple, designated as a gift from Emperor Qianlong, and Pixian County. The traditional Pixian County doubanjiang production technique has been listed as a national intangible cultural heritage.

Representative 1: Douban Crucian Carp

Representative 2: Braised Chicken with Doubanjiang

How to make braised chicken with bean paste

Wash the chicken (try to remove the blood thoroughly.)

Heat oil in a pan, sauté onion, ginger, garlic, star anise and bay leaves

Add the bean paste and stir-fry (you can add more as needed.)

Add the chicken and stir fry, add a little dark soy sauce for color

Add a little cooking wine and a little salt (the bean paste already has plenty of salt)

Pour in boiling water (not too much.)

Cover and simmer over high heat for 15 minutes

Open the lid and stir fry quickly until the sauce is fully absorbed, then you can enjoy it.

Japanese delegation - fermented soy products

Contestant No. 1: Miso

Player 2: Natto

　　In the past, when people thought of Japanese cuisine, images of sashimi and sushi would immediately come to mind. However, miso soup and natto are essential ingredients in the Japanese diet. The increasing longevity and health of the Japanese population are closely linked to their habitual consumption of fermented foods. They firmly believe in the nutritional benefits of miso and natto and continue to consume them. Some even believe that a fermentation culture is inherent in their country's culinary heritage. Miso is fermented soybeans, rice koji, and salt. It is said to be a variation of "soy sauce," but instead of wheat koji, it is brewed with rice koji mixed with soybeans. Miso is rich in soy isoflavones, which can help prevent menopausal symptoms and osteoporosis. Its vitamin E, daidzein, and saponins also have antioxidant properties, helping to prevent aging. Many Japanese breakfast consists of a bowl of natto with rice. While it may seem simple to us, it actually packs a nutritional punch. Natto is a processed soybean product made by steaming and fermenting soybeans. Fermentation breaks down the soy protein, making its nutritional value more easily absorbed. Natto is particularly rich in vitamin B2, containing four times more than regular soybeans. This vitamin is essential for fat and sugar metabolism and has direct benefits in preventing obesity, arteriosclerosis, lowering blood lipids, and relieving fatigue.

Representative 1: Japanese Miso Minced Pork Ramen

How to make Japanese miso minced meat ramen

The eggs can be cooked until soft or hard, depending on the stove temperature and preference. Put them in cold water, rinse for a while, peel them, and immerse them completely in the marinade. Store in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.

Add more oil to the pan, heat it up, pour the minced meat in, stir-fry until it changes color. Spray in a little more cooking wine than the appropriate amount, and stir-fry until the wine smell is released.

Cut the scallion white into rings; cut the onion into rings; slice the garlic; cut the ginger into shreds, add it to the minced meat, and stir-fry slowly over medium-low heat until fragrant

Cut the green pepper into rings; cut the green onion into strips, add them into the pot, and stir-fry until fragrant and soft.

Pour in an appropriate amount of broth, add curry powder, and bring to a boil. Take a few spoonfuls of broth from the pot, stir the miso, then add it to the broth and stir. Season with salt

Finally, add shredded Chinese cabbage and mung bean sprouts, bring to a boil again, pour over the ramen, top with braised eggs, ham, and sprinkle with green onions.

          Don't think I posted these two blog posts several days apart. Actually, the chicken gizzards were braised at noon on the first day, and I added ingredients to the soup to soak the eggs early the next morning. The soaking was done at noon on the third day. It wasn't used several days apart.

Representative 2: Natto Thin Roll

How to make natto rolls

To make sushi rice: Wash sushi rice or rice, add half a spoon of honey and water, steam until cooked, add sushi vinegar while hot, stir evenly and let cool.

Chop the natto slightly first

Take a bamboo mat, cut the seaweed into 2 pieces, take one piece and spread the sushi rice on it

Place the chopped natto in the middle of the sushi rice, spread with mustard, sprinkle with chopped green onions, roll it up, cut into several sections, and serve with Japanese soy sauce and sushi ginger.

        Natto tastes a bit bitter and not very tasty, but it is a very healthy food ingredient and has a conditioning and auxiliary effect on many diseases. It can regulate blood lipids, blood pressure, prevent atherosclerosis, regulate blood sugar, regulate the gastrointestinal tract, moisturize the intestines, detoxify and nourish the skin, and has antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-cancer effects. It also has the effects of hangover and liver protection. Therefore, natto is now sold in supermarket freezers. A few days ago, when I was surfing the Internet, I saw natto bacteria that can be used to make natto at home. It is becoming more and more convenient to eat this kind of food ingredient. The elderly can often eat natto to regulate their bodies. I bought a few boxes for my father. It is really difficult to swallow it directly, so I found many ways to cook natto. The sushi introduced today is very good and the method is very simple. Try it~

South Korean delegation - fermented fruits and vegetables

Representative player: Kimchi

　　There's a Korean saying that "kimchi is half the food," and no matter how extravagant the banquet, kimchi is always on the table. Before winter, every household prepares kimchi using approximately 100 to 150 heads of cabbage, making it one of the most important chores of the year.

　　Korean kimchi is not just a food; it also contains various lactic acid bacteria, with the bacteria count ranging from approximately 10.7 to 10.9 billion per gram. According to many expert studies, in addition to the intake of rich dietary fiber, eating kimchi also activates the phytase in the microorganisms due to fermentation, which can break down 80-90% of the phytic acid in vegetables. Lactic acid bacteria also produce small molecular organic acids, which are beneficial to the human body's absorption of minerals such as iron and zinc, increasing their bioavailability.

Representative 1: Korean kimchi soup

How to make Korean kimchi soup

Peel the potatoes and cut into slices, cut the onions into shreds, slice the pork belly, cut the kimchi into bite-sized pieces, and cut the green onions into sections.

Add minced garlic, minced ginger, cooking wine, sesame oil, sugar and chili powder to the pork belly slices, mix well and marinate for 10 minutes

Pour a little sesame oil into the pot, then add the marinated pork belly slices and fry over low heat until they change color. Then add the onion shreds and kimchi and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

Pour rice washing water into the pot, turn to high heat, and then add soybean paste

Put the potato slices into the pot and cook for 2 minutes, then add bean sprouts, tofu, and enoki mushrooms and cook until boiling.

Finally, add the chopped onions into the pot and boil them until cooked.

1. There are many variations of Korean kimchi soup. Adding different ingredients will create a variety of fresh flavors. The methods are relatively similar. The meat can be pork belly, beef or chicken. If you add seafood, you can make kimchi seafood soup.

2. Korean kimchi is fermented for a longer time and has a sour taste.

3. The soup made with rice washing water will be thicker. When steaming rice, rinse the rice lightly with water for the first time and then pour it out. Then keep the washing water.

4. Doenjang, also known as miso, is a soybean paste made from soy beans. I don't know much about it in detail, but if you want to learn more about Korean condiments, you can refer to Sister Mitong's article on the different uses of Korean condiments. I've also included a picture of doenjang here. Even if we can't read Korean characters, can't we still understand it by looking at the picture?! :)

Representative 2: Kimchi Fried Rice

Korean kimchi sausage fried rice recipe

Prepare kimchi and cut Cantonese sausage into small pieces

Melt the lard and add the sausage and stir-fry

Stir-fry until the sausage is transparent, add Korean kimchi, then stir-fry the leftover rice. After stir-frying evenly, pour in an appropriate amount of kimchi water and stir-fry.

       The trick is to use kimchi water, because it is salty and basically no seasoning is added. Because of the kimchi water, the frying time needs to be longer and the frequency of turning is more.

       Kimchi is the soul of Koreans. In many traditional Korean families, the original marinade for a single jar of kimchi can be passed down through nine generations: from great-grandmother to grandmother, grandmother to mother, mother to daughter-in-law, and so on. Therefore, authentic Korean kimchi is known as "family love pickled with maternal love." The longer it ages, the richer its flavor, leading Koreans to refer to the delicious taste of kimchi as "the taste of mother." Perhaps it is this deep love and gratitude for mothers that explains why Koreans call kimchi a "product of filial piety."

       I am not a fan of Korean dramas, nor do I follow Korea, but I do not rule out my love for Korean food, because from kimchi to pork belly and so on, what I really like is the local additive-free ingredients. However, it is hard to say about Korean restaurants, because it is really too expensive to import directly from Korea. So behind your infatuation you still need to be calm, just like I buy kimchi directly imported from Korea, and my own home is definitely the main force in making it. Well, let's talk about today's topic, delicious fried rice made at home with Korean kimchi.

European delegations - fermented milk products

Representative: Cheese

　　Most cheeses have a distinctive, milky smell. While increasing nutritional awareness and the increasing preference for Westernized breakfasts have led some Chinese people to accept cheese as a dairy product, it's undeniable that many still find its unpleasant odor difficult to accept. Many Europeans treasure cheese and enjoy it daily without getting tired of it, which largely demonstrates the difference between Chinese and European countries in cheese consumption and perception. Cheese is a highly nutritious dairy product. Each kilogram of cheese is made from 10 kilograms of concentrated milk. It is rich in protein, calcium, fat, phosphorus, vitamins, and other nutrients, making it a completely natural food. The variety of cheeses and ways to enjoy them is ever-increasing. Besides being used in Western dishes, cheese can be cut into small pieces and enjoyed plain with red wine, sandwiched between steamed buns, bread, crackers, hamburgers, or mixed with salads and noodles. Many European countries have their own unique cheese varieties, such as France's Camembert, Switzerland's Emmeuteler, Italy's Mozzarella, the Netherlands' Gouda, and the UK's Cheddar, all with distinct flavors and characteristics. Furthermore, cheeses can be categorized by production process, including fresh cheese, semi-hard cheese, hard cheese, white mold cheese, blue mold cheese, washed cheese, goat cheese, and processed cheese.

Representative 1: Cheese Baked Mashed Potatoes

How to make cheese mashed potatoes

       Mother's Day is coming, are you ready for your mom's gift? I just ordered a bouquet of carnations, and cooking a meal for her is a must. I cook it regularly, but for a special day, I wanted to change things up a bit.

       I highly recommend this cheese-baked mashed potato. The mashed potatoes are made to resemble pizza, giving them a slightly exotic flavor that's easily accepted by seniors accustomed to Chinese food their entire lives. The unique aroma and stringiness of the mozzarella cheese, combined with the soft, chewy mashed potatoes, are perfect for seniors and a real treat.

       Another important point is that it is incredibly simple to make. Anyone can try it out, even kitchen novices will not fail. It is also very suitable as an enlightenment teaching material for baking, and it can build confidence in baking and cooking. It is very competent :)

       And wow, I think potatoes are such a common and accessible ingredient, who wouldn’t like them, haha~ I just think they are delicious no matter how they are cooked, and I love them no matter how they are cooked. This dish has a kind of warm power, and I can share it with family, friends, and loved ones~

Peel the potatoes and cut into thick slices. Steam them in a steamer over high heat until they are cooked through with a chopstick.

Mashed potatoes with a potato masher. If you don’t have this tool, you can use a spoon.

Finely chop white onion and carrot

Put a small piece of butter in the pot and melt it over high heat. You can also use no cooking oil.

Add chopped onion and carrot and fry until fragrant. Remove from heat when carrot becomes soft.

Add the best onions and carrots to the mashed potatoes and place them in a baking tray or baking bowl. Season with salt and black pepper and mix well.

Spread a layer of mozzarella cheese on the surface, preheat the oven to 200℃, and wait until the mozzarella cheese melts and turns golden.

       It smells so good when baking... I'm drooling... It tastes best when eaten hot, and it's so much fun to eat~~ On Mother's Day, cook a dish for your mom yourself and let her taste your love~ :)

       "Cheese Baked Mashed Potatoes" from "Taste of Life's Food Collection"

Representative 2: Cheese Baked Pasta

US & Russian Delegation - Fermented Cereals

Representative player: Bread

　　Before baking soda and yeast were available in stores in the United States, early Western settlers used dough as a starter to bake sourdough bread. Starter is formed by combining flour, water, and sugar and fermenting for several days. This process allows wild yeasts to develop an acidic nature, which in turn gives the bread a rich flavor. Many regions in the United States pride themselves on producing unique natural sourdough breads, resulting in a distinctively tart flavor with a crisp exterior and a firm interior. San Francisco's sourdough bread is considered a model for this American tradition. To achieve this unique flavor, local natural sourdoughs and their specialized fermentation processes are essential. Natural sourdough dough contains numerous microorganisms, including yeast and lactic acid bacteria. However, the types of these bacteria vary depending on the region and the type of sourdough used, resulting in varying acidity and flavor.

Representative 1: Natural yeast milk toast

Representative 2: Black bread

　　Black bread is a traditional staple food for Russians. Originally, each farm in Russia had only one bread oven, and each family would bake bread regularly there. People usually only ate stored bread at home, so the loaves were made extra large and eaten with a knife. Later, unique techniques and customs developed. This large loaf is rich in aroma, slightly sour in taste, and relatively hard, making it suitable for storage. Due to historical and regional factors, this bread has become the perfect fusion of Chinese and Russian cuisines in Harbin. Today, the local Qiulin "black bread" is renowned both at home and abroad, becoming a cultural symbol. If traditional baking techniques are followed, using black bread flowers from the Hulunbuir grasslands for fermentation, while the taste may be slightly sour, it is a truly organic food, free of chemical additives.

How to make black bread

Knead all the ingredients except salt, yeast and butter into a dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Add salt and yeast, knead until slightly gluten-free, add butter and knead until fully kneaded. Add crushed flax seeds and knead well.

Ferment at room temperature (28 degrees Celsius, 75% capacity) until the hole does not spring back, about 80 minutes

Roll into a ball and let it rest for 25 minutes

Pat it again to release the air, roll it into a ball and place it in the fermentation basket. Ferment it at room temperature for about 50 minutes until it slowly bounces back when pressed by your finger.

Cut the bag and spray water on the surface

Bake at 190 degrees for about 45 minutes

　　In fact, there are far more fermented foods than those introduced above, and they are everywhere in our daily diet. Staple foods such as steamed buns and steamed buns; seasonings such as soy sauce, braised shrimp paste, and soy sauce; beverages such as yogurt and wine, etc., are all fermented foods. Due to the dietary concept that food is the most important thing for people, as well as a long history and culture, the types and seasonings of fermented foods are still superior. There are many different flavors in China, and not only do we like them, but many foreigners also yearn to try them. Therefore, we should not blindly reject foreign foods such as natto and cheese. Although they have different tastes, we should gladly accept and try them because of their various benefits. If we can use them for our own benefit and combine them with our taste to cook them, wouldn’t the result be the best of both worlds?