MICROFLORA OF BOZA, A TRADITIONAL FERMENTED TURKISH BEVERAGE

Boza, a Turkish traditional beverage made by yeast and lactic acid fer mentation of cooked maize, wheat and rice flours was prepared and the microbial characteristics were investigated. During the course of ferm entation from 0 to 24 h, populations of lactic acid bacteria and yeast raised from 7.6 x 10(6) and 2.25 x 10(5) after inoculation to 4.6 x 1 0(8) and 8.1 x 10(6), respectively; pH dropped from 6.1 to 3.5; total titratable acidity by means of lactic acid increased from 0.02 to 0.27 mmol/g; alcohol content increased from 0.017% to 0.79%. Seventy seven isolates of lactic acid bacteria and 70 yeast isolates were identifie d. The lactic acid bacteria isolated during the fermentation included Leuconostoc paramesenteroides (25.6%), Lactobacillus sanfrancisco (21. 9%), Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides (18.6%), Lactobaci llus coryniformis (9.1%), L. confusus (7.8%), Leuconostoc mesenteroide s subsp. dextranicum (7.3%), Lactobacillus fermentum (6.5%), Leuconost oc oenos (3.7%). The yeasts isolated comprised Saccharomyces uvarum (8 3.0%) and S. cerevisiae (17.0%). (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.