**2.2.** *Cauim*

substances production (e.g., bacteriocins) that restricts the growth of harmful bacteria to

The traditional foods, mainly those produced by spontaneous fermentation, are present in the daily life of the population and play an important role in the cultural identity of different communities [59]. Indigenous or traditional fermented foods refer to the products that, since the beginning of history, are an integral part of the diet and can be prepared in household or

In South America, there are various traditional fermented beverages, mainly produced by fermentation of cereals, vegetables, and root tubers. Among these beverages could be cited the traditional beverages *cauim* and *caxiri*, made by Brazilian natives and the traditional beers *chicha* and c*hampús*, typical of the Andes [59, 61–64]. *Cachaça* is also a typical beverage, from Brazil, where the fermented sugarcane juice is then distilled to produce a spirit. Table 1 shows

**Beverage Raw material Microorganisms Country**

*champús* maize *S.cerevisiae*, other yeast Colombia

*Caxiri* is an alcoholic fermented beverage made from cassava (*Manihot esculenta* Crantz) and produced by Brazilian natives. The *Yudjá-Pakaya* native tribe is located in the Xingu Park in the Mato Grosso state, Brazil [64]. Initially, cassava roots are incubated for 2 days in running water to soft the skin. After this stage, the cassava is peeled, cut into small pieces, and placed in handmade straw press for removing the excess of water. The resulting paste from pressing is grated into flour. Then the flour is roasted for about 2 hours. Subsequently, the flour is mixed

*caxiri* cassava LAB, *Bacillus* spp., *S. cerevisiae*

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB), *Saccharomyces cerevisiae*, other yeast

(predominant yeast), other yeast

LAB*, S.cerevisiae* (predominant yeast), *Aspergillus* spp.

> *S. cerevisiae*; LAB, other yeast

Brazil

Brazil

Peru

Brazil

malting [50, 56–58].

116 Food Production and Industry

**2. Fermented beverages of South America**

some characteristics of these traditional beverages.

*cauim* cassava, rice, peanuts

*chicha* maize

*cachaça* sugarcane

**Table 1.** Catalogue of traditional fermented beverages of South America.

Source: [59, 61-64]

**2.1.** *Caxiri*

cottage industry, using simple techniques and equipments [60].

*Cauim* (Kawi) is a nonalcoholic fermented beverage produced from various substrates, such as banana, cassava, cotton seed, maize, pumpkin, peanuts, and rice. This drink is pro‐ duced in Brazil, in the Mato Grosso state, by *Tapirapé-Tapi'itãwa* native tribe [59, 63]. *Cauim* represents great importance to the tribe since it is consumed by adults and children as part of their daily meal [59, 63]. For the production of *cauim* from cassava, initially this substrate is fermented for 3 to 5 days in running water. Afterward, the cassava is peeled, cut into pieces and placed on sun to dry. The dried pieces are crushed, and the obtained flour is added to water. The mixture is boiled for 2 hours and then cooled at room temperature. An inoculum obtained from the chewed sweet potato (*Ipomoea batatas*) prepared by indigenous women is then added to the porridge to start the fermentation. After 24–48 hours, the beverage is ready for consumption [59].

For the preparation of beverages with other substrates, the procedure is similar to *cauim* made from cassava. The main substrate is cooked for approximately 2 hours and cooled at room temperature. After cooled, the inoculum is added to start the fermentation [63]. During fermentation, a progressive acidification occurs, and the pH of beverage decrease from ~5.5 to ~3.4 [59].

Almeida et al. (2006) found LAB as the dominant microorganisms during *cauim* fermentation. Among the LAB obtained in that work, *Lactobacillus pentosus* and *Lactobacillus plantarum* were the most prevalent species. Gram-positive sporulating bacteria, as the genus *Bacillus* spp., were found in small amounts. In a recent work, Ramos et al. (2010) monitored the community of yeast and LAB in *cauim* prepared from rice and peanuts, by culture-dependent and cultureindependent methods. LAB were found in higher counts, ranging from 7.4 to 8.4 log CFU/mL, while yeast were found at 4.0 to 6.6 log CFU/mL. The most prevalent species of yeast found were *Pichia guilliermondii*, *Kluyveromyces lactis*, *Candida* sp., *Rhodosporidium toruloides*, and *S. cerevisiae*. The most prevalent species of LAB belonged to genus *Lactobacillus*: as *L. plantarum, L. fermentum*, *L. paracasei*, and *L. brevis* [63].
