Production of food with the aid of microorganisms, which may be yeasts, molds, or bacteria. Well-known examples of such foods are bread, cheese, beer, wine, vinegar, some sausages, sauerkraut, yogurt, and cultured milk. This article deals with fermented foods produced and consumed in large amounts by millions of people in Africa and Asia. In Japan, for example, soy sauce (shoyu) is consumed at the rate of 11 quarts (10 liters) per capita per year, and annual production is close to 330,900 gallons (1,252,600 liters). Production of miso and natto is in the range of 625,900 and 174,200 tons (567,800 and 158,000 metric tons), respectively.