Lactic acid bacteria in traditional fermented Chinese foods

Food fermentation is a widely practiced and ancient technology in China. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are involved in many fermentation processes of Chinese traditional foods, demonstrating their profound effects on improving food quality and food safety. This review article outlines the main types of LAB fermentation as well as their typical fermented foods such as koumiss, suan-tsai, stinky tofu and Chinese sausage. The roles of LAB and the reasons for their common presence are also discussed.