March 12, 2025

Fermented foods are tightly interconnected to the climate and environmental conditions of their region. Fermentation is a technique for utilizing and processing agricultural, forestry, and fishery products, making them tasty and long-lasting while minimizing waste. This practice has supported the lives of people around the world from ancient times. Surprisingly, the ancient origins of this production method date back to the days when there was not even the concept of fermentation or microorganisms, and the accumulated and refined experiences of our predecessors have been passed down as an essential part of our modern diet.
Throughout the ages, Thailand has been producing a variety of fermented foods that play an important role as a food resource. Thailand has widely accepted the cultures of the surrounding regions, including China and India, and fermented foods also inherit the characteristics of these countries. Some of the ingredients and preparation methods are comparable to foods in Japan. Research aimed at correctly understanding the traditional production methods of fermented foods, the microbial functions, as well as the ingredients involved in the preservation, tastiness, and health maintenance/promotion will enable the development of technologies to further enhance their value, allowing them to be passed on to future generations in a better form.

The Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS), together with other research institutions in Asia, conducts joint research to deepen the understanding of native agricultural, forestry, and fishery products, processed foods, and traditional fermented foods, promote their use, and contribute to enriching people’s lives around the world. This database is based on the bibliographic information (The Traditional Fermented Foods of Thailand, 1995) compiled by the Institute of Food Research and Product Development (IFRPD) at Kasetsart University in Thailand. It categorizes Thailand’s diverse fermented foods by raw material, such as fishery products, livestock products, fruits, vegetables, rice, and soybeans, and provides photos, explanations, and descriptions of production methods. This information has been available on the JIRCAS website since FY2015. In 2024, the content on the website was partially revised based on the latest information, updating photos, and including information on microorganisms along with reference literature.

If you have any questions or comments regarding the database, please use the inquiry form to submit your inquiries.

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