Ecological factors that drive microbial communities in culturally diverse fermented foods

The beneficial effects of fermented foods on human health are increasingly being appreciated. Throughout history, cultures worldwide have relied on fermentation for preserving food, enhancing digestibility, as well as improving flavor, aromas, and taste. Despite the abundance of uniquely fermented foods globally, microbial communities of traditionally fermented non-European foods remain understudied. Here, we characterized the bacterial and fungal communities in 90 plant and animal based fermented foods from Nepal, South Korea, Ethiopia, and Kazakhstan traditionally prepared for household consumption. Our results highlight the underexplored diversity of microbial communities in traditional fermented foods and underscore the need to comprehend entire microbial communities present in fermented foods and their functions when evaluating their effect on nutrition and health.