Creating a spontaneously fermented ‘tonic water’ using Belgian endive root

In this study, we explore the spontaneous fermentation of an agricultural by-product, the roots of Belgian endive. Preliminary trials yielded a pleasantly bitter liquid with a citrus flavor, reminiscent of tonic water. Two batches of endive roots were spontaneously fermented and metagenomic analyses detected the predominance of Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Leuconostoc miyukkimchii and Weisella soli . Additionally, we isolated strains belonging to these species, which can be used in future synthetic ecology approaches to investigate how these microorganisms interact and their impacts on flavor. F... Mehr ...