Fermented Vegetables

🇮🇳Nagaland, India

Akhuni

Axone

A Naga fermented soybean paste, pungent and savoury, used to season vegetables and stews.

🇫🇲Chuuk State (Central FSM), Federated States of Micronesia

Apwet

Apwet is Chuukese fermented breadfruit kept for a shorter period than the longest-preserved forms, leaving a tangy, soft paste that can be cooked or served with savoury food.

🇰🇵Kaesong, North Korea

Bossam Kimchi

보쌈김치

A Kaesong specialty: spiced napa cabbage leaves folded around a filling of sliced pine nuts, apples, pears, chestnuts, and jujubes; elaborately wrapped and fermented; at the table the top is cut in a cross so the bundle opens like a flower; a celebratory and ceremonial dish from the historic city of Kaesong.

🇲🇭Marshall Islands

Bwiro

Bwiro is breadfruit fermented with saltwater, kneaded, baked in an earth oven, and stored as a tart preservation paste that can last through lean seasons.

🇰🇵North Korea

Cubed Radish Kimchi

깍두기

Korean radish cut into cubes and fermented with chili paste, garlic, and ginger, the perfect accompaniment to ox bone soup.

🇸🇻El Salvador

Curtido

A Salvadoran fermented cabbage and carrot slaw with vinegar and oregano, the essential pupusa companion

🇰🇷South Korea

Fast-Fermented Soybean Paste

청국장

A quick-fermented soybean paste with a strong, pungent aroma and a stringy texture from Bacillus subtilis, used in stews.

🇲🇲Myanmar

Fermented Bean Cake

ပဲငါးပိ

Soybean fermented and pressed into discs, dried and either toasted whole or ground into curries as a vegetarian source of umami.

🇲🇲Myanmar

Fermented Bean Paste

ပုန်းရည်ကြီး

Thick, dark paste of fermented horse gram from Myanmar's dry zone, used where fish paste would be in a coastal kitchen. It is a named bean-based accompaniment, distinct from soybean pe-ngapi.

🇮🇩Indonesia

Fermented Cassava

Tape Singkong

Fermented cassava, sweet and slightly alcoholic, soft and aromatic, traditional snack.

🇵🇫French Polynesia

Fermented Coconut Milk

Miti Hue

Miti hue is fermented fish or seafood mixed with coconut and aromatics; the ageing gives the Tahitian preparation a pronounced savoury tang.

🇧🇳Brunei

Fermented Glutinous Rice

Tape Ketan

Fermented glutinous rice, slightly sour-sweet with soft texture and alcoholic aroma, snack

🇰🇷South Korea

Fermented Soybean Blocks

메주

Dried, fermented soybean blocks that are the foundation of doenjang, ganjang, and gochujang, made by soaking, grinding, and fermenting soybeans.

🇲🇲Myanmar

Fermented Tea Leaves

လက်ဖက်

Young tea leaves steamed and packed into bamboo or clay to ferment for months, ending up soft, sour and faintly bitter.

🇰🇷South Korea

Green Onion Kimchi

파김치

Green onions (scallions) fermented with chili paste, fish sauce, and anchovy sauce, a bold and chewy kimchi variety.

🇳🇵Nepal

Gundruk

गुन्द्रुक

Leafy greens are fermented, dried, and later rehydrated for sour soups and side dishes across Nepal.

🇳🇪Niger

Iru

Ìrú

African locust beans fermented until they turn black and pungent, pressed into cakes and used a pinch at a time in soups.

🇪🇬Egypt

Keshk

كشك

An Egyptian fermented dairy product of dried yogurt and cracked wheat, used in soups and stews.

🇰🇵Pyongan, North Korea

Kimchi Mari

김치말이

Cold kimchi broth with rice, a Pyongan province representative dish; old kimchi is chopped and simmered in water to make a tangy broth, then served over rice; a refreshing summer dish that uses aged kimchi; a homely, everyday food of the Pyongan region; light, tangy, and cooling.

🇳🇵Koshi and Eastern Nepal, Nepal

Kinema

किनेमा

Soybeans are cooked, fermented, and used as a sticky, savory ingredient in eastern Nepal's Kirat cooking.

🇰🇵North Korea

Korean Chili Paste

고추장

An essential fermented paste of gochugaru, glutinous rice, soybeans, and salt, with a complex spicy-sweet-savory flavor, the backbone of Korean cooking.

🇰🇵North Korea

Korean Soybean Paste

된장

Korea's foundational fermented soybean paste, made from meju blocks fermented in brine, with an earthy, pungent, and deeply umami flavor.

🇫🇲Federated States of Micronesia

Maar

Mahr

Breadfruit fermented in leaf-lined pits for months to years; reduces to a tart, doughy paste; crucial food security crop that can sustain communities through cyclones and crop failures; eaten at various fermentation stages; one of the most ancient and important preservation technologies in the Pacific.

🇳🇵Nepal

Masyaura

मस्यौरा

Sun-dried lentil and vegetable patties, a Nepali pantry staple rehydrated in curries.

🇯🇵Japan

Miso

味噌

Fermented soybean paste, the foundation of Japanese cooking, with regional varieties from white to dark.

🇰🇷South Korea

Mustard Leaf Kimchi

갓김치

Pungent mustard leaves fermented with chili paste and anchovy sauce, a bold and peppery kimchi from the Jeolla region.

🇰🇵North Korea

Napa Cabbage Kimchi

배추김치

The essential Korean kimchi: napa cabbage coated with gochugaru, garlic, ginger, and salted seafood (jeotgal), then fermented.

🇯🇵Japan

Nattō

納豆

Fermented soybeans with a stringy, sticky texture and pungent aroma, eaten over rice for breakfast.

🇲🇲Myanmar

Ngapi

ငါးပိ

Fermented paste of salted fish or shrimp, pressed and aged until pungent; the backbone of almost every savoury Burmese dish.

🇨🇳China

Northeastern Sour Cabbage

酸菜

Whole Chinese cabbages salted and pressed under stones in a jar through the northeastern winter until they turn sour and translucent.

🇨🇬Republic of the Congo

Ntoba Mbodi

A fermented cassava leaf product made by alkaline fermentation; dark, pungent, and used as a base for sauces.

🇳🇬Nigeria

Ogiri

Fermented melon or castor seed paste, wrapped in leaves and used as a strong savoury seasoning in Igbo soups.

🇰🇷South Korea

Perilla Leaf Kimchi

깻잎김치

Perilla leaves layered with a soy or chili marinade, fermented into a nutty, savory, and aromatic side dish.

🇨🇳Sichuan, China

Pixian Broad Bean Paste

郫县豆瓣酱

Fermented paste of broad beans and chillies aged in open clay jars for one to three years, the base seasoning of most red Sichuan dishes.

🇰🇷South Korea

Ponytail Radish Kimchi

총각김치

Small whole radishes with their greens attached, fermented in a spicy chili paste, known for an extra-crunchy texture.

🇳🇴Eastern Norway, Norway

Rakfisk

A Norwegian dish of fermented trout or char, salted and cured for months, eaten raw with a strong, pungent flavor. Served on flatbrød with red onion, sour cream, and mustard, a national and autumn specialty, an acquired taste.