Traditional Turkish fermented sucuk: learning from the tradition to inform the future

Abstract

Traditional Turkish Fermented Soudjouk, which has been known since ancient times are consumed with appreciation by the people of our country. Soudjouk is an important food product for nutrition and health due to its valuable nutrients and probiotic microorganisms. Traditional Turkish fermented soudjouk is a fermented meat product that is produced without heat treatment or starter cultures. Fermented soudjouks are dried and ripened under completely natural conditions. In Turkey, despite the production of natural soudjouk is wide spread, the production is usually carried out in small-scale manufacturers. On the other hand, medium and large-scale manufacturers prefer to produce semi-fermented soudjouks or the heat-processed soudjouk-like products because of high production cost and longer production time. Some companies are selling heat-processed soudjouk-like products to the market with a natural fermented soudjouk label, which causes consumer deception due to product imitation and adulteration. This review study was carried out with the aim of revealing the characteristic of the Traditional Turkish Fermented Soudjouk consumed in Turkey and its current situation.