Microbiological and biochemical studies on Gergoush fermentation

According to the results obtained, three steps in Gergoush fermentation wer e identified, Step one is the primary starter preparation and comprises a 1 2-15 It propagation of the natural thermotolerant bacterial flora of the le gume ingredient of Gergoush using the legume and boiled milk as a propagati on medium. This primary starter is then used in step two to inoculate a whe at flour dough to produce the adapted starter in a 1-2-h fermentation time. The adapted starter is finally used in step three to raise the main Gergou sh dough. In all of the three steps of Gergoush fermentation, three genera of bacteri a dominated. They were tentatively identified as lactic acid bacteria. Baci llus spp. and Clostridium spp. Their counts reached a maximum in the primar y starter stage of 2.2 x 10(7), 2.8 x 10(8) and 7.3 x 10(7) CFU/g, respecti vely. These bacteria produced lactic, acetic and butyric acids. The concent rations of the acids were maximum in the primary starter and reached values of 0.6%, 0.4% and 0.5%, respectively, and the pH decreased from 6.1 to 4.1 . Baked Gergoush has a pH of about 5 and contains about 59% starch, 16% pro tein. 18% fat, 6.5% water and 0.5% ash. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Scie nce B.V.