The Effects of Technological Modifications on the Fermentation of Borde, an Ethiopian Traditional Fermented Cereal Beverage

Four independent experiments were carried out to study the effect of modifying some steps in the technology of the four-phase traditional borde fermentation using malt and a mixture of unmalted cereals. When maize flour was substituted for maize grits in Phase I fermentation, the titratable acidity was greater throughout this phase and decreased after 24 h. Substitution with flour resulted in a higher yield, improved acceptability and extended keeping quality of borde. In addition, the wet milling at the last stage of the process could be omitted. When Phase I was omitted from the process, the starting pH at Phase II was much higher than when fermented maize from Phase I was used. Although the pH by the end of Phase II was comparable in both treatments, the borde made using fermented maize from Phase I was superior in all sensory attributes. Unmalted ingredients were heat treated in various ways and all methods were found to produce acceptable borde. However, borde from uncooked ingredients was totally unacceptable. An investigation on the effect of merging some phases of the fermentation showed that it is possible to prepare an acceptable borde using a simplified method of production. There were no marked variations in microbial load of borde from all the above treatments. It was found possible to shorten the duration and simplify the technology of borde fermentation with some variations in acceptability. Key Words: food processing; traditional fermentation; cereal beverage, borde; Ethiopia Journal of Food Technology in Africa Vol.9(1) 2004: 3-12