What is traditional fermented?
Traditional fermented ingredients are produced through time-honored fermentation processes that rely on naturally occurring or carefully cultivated microorganisms to transform raw food materials. Examples include naturally brewed soy sauce, miso, traditional vinegar, yogurt cultures, sourdough starter, kimchi, sauerkraut, tempeh, and aged cheeses. These ingredients have been central to cuisines worldwide for thousands of years, providing distinctive flavors, textures, and preservation characteristics.
75,729 products in our database contain traditional fermented. 19,500 of them (26%) are Level 4, the most processed of our four levels.
Which foods contain traditional fermented?
Traditional fermented ingredients appear in Asian cuisine (soy sauce, miso, fish sauce, rice vinegar), European cuisine (wine, vinegar, aged cheese, sourdough bread), Korean cuisine (kimchi, gochujang), Japanese cuisine (sake, mirin, natto), and are increasingly used in artisanal and natural food products across all categories.
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Also known as
Traditional Fermented can appear in ingredient lists under several names. If you see any of the following, this is the ingredient family you are looking at:
Function
Traditional fermented ingredients contribute complex umami, tangy, and savory flavor profiles developed through slow microbial transformation of proteins, sugars, and other compounds in the raw ingredients. The fermentation process creates hundreds of flavor compounds — organic acids, amino acids, esters, and alcohols — that give fermented foods their characteristic depth and complexity. Traditional fermentation also preserves food through acidification and the production of antimicrobial compounds, and research has examined whether it increases the bioavailability of certain nutrients.
Sources
Traditional fermented ingredients are produced through controlled microbial processes that may take days, weeks, months, or even years. Soy sauce is traditionally brewed by fermenting soybeans and wheat with Aspergillus molds and then with lactic acid bacteria and yeasts over 6-18 months. Miso is made by fermenting soybeans with koji (Aspergillus oryzae) and salt for months to years. Vinegar is produced through two-stage fermentation: alcoholic fermentation followed by acetic acid bacterial fermentation. These slow processes develop flavors and compounds not achievable through rapid industrial methods.
Health considerations
Research has examined the nutritional profile of traditionally fermented foods, including their live culture content and nutrient composition. Many fermented ingredients are high in sodium (soy sauce, miso, fish sauce), and some contain biogenic amines like histamine and tyramine that may affect sensitive individuals. The FDA regulates probiotic claims on food labels, and specific health claims require scientific substantiation.
This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.
Regulatory
Traditional fermented ingredients are generally classified as foods or GRAS ingredients rather than food additives. Standards of identity exist for some fermented products — for example, vinegar must contain a minimum acetic acid percentage, and soy sauce has specific identity standards in some jurisdictions. The distinction between traditionally fermented and industrially produced versions (e.g., naturally brewed vs. chemically hydrolyzed soy sauce) is regulated in labeling, with terms like "naturally brewed" having specific regulatory meaning.