Nutritional and Sensory Characterization of Some Fermented Food Products Made in the Carpathian-Danubian-Pontic Area

Abstract The territory of Romania has been known as the Carpathian-Danubian-Pontic space since ancient times, being traversed from one end to the other by the Carpathian Mountains and being bordered to the south by the Danube River (Danubius) which flows into the Black Sea (Pontic area). Fermented food products manufactured in Romania belong to the many categories, such as: lactic acid dairy products or fermented dairy products (yogurt, sana, buttermilk, kefir, fermented cream, fresh cheese), pickled vegetables (cabbage, cucumbers, red pepper), non-alcoholic fermented beverages (braga, borsch, vinegar, socata), traditional fermented bread, maturated cheeses, raw dried salami and alcoholic beverages (beer, wine). In the present article we will focus on a nutritional and sensory characterization of the most famous fermented products that are manufactured almost exclusively in the Carpathian-Danubian-Pontic area, of course also due to the influence of the neighbours, this being: fermented dairy products (yoghurt, sana and buttermilk), lactic fermented pickles (pickled cabbage) and non-alcoholic fermented drinks (braga, borsh and socata).