The process of creating an oncom is nearly miraculous. It begins with a mass of soy pulp that has been covered in banana leaves and speckled with Neurospora intermedia spores. For around a day and a half, the bundle is allowed to ferment in a warm, humid environment. The cellulose is broken down by the mold as it breaks down the proteins and starch in the fibrous pulp, creating a dish that is popular throughout western Indonesia. This process exemplifies the fungal fermentation of food waste, turning inedible materials into nutritious food.

Vayu Hill-Maini, a chef who is also a bioengineer, described it as “pretty astonishing.” He said, “In just 36 hours, this fungal growth is kind of transforming what otherwise is pretty inedible.”

Fungal Fermentation of Food Waste: From Tradition to Modern Solutions

Hill-Maini, an associate professor from Stanford University, presented a compelling case in a recent publication in Nature Microbiology that the fermentation of food waste and agricultural leftovers by fungi may be an upcoming culinary frontier. Fungal fermentation is more than just creating popular recipes for Hill-Maini. It’s about lowering global hunger and enhancing food sustainability. For generations, the technology he is so enthusiastic about has been doing just that in areas of Indonesia, where oncom, a traditional staple, serves as a cheap and wholesome substitute for animal protein.

How Oncom is Made and Eaten

Oncom is usually prepared by mixing a little amount of old oncom with something like soybean pulp and letting it ferment. It can then be stir-fried, used as a stuffing or filling, or even eaten as a fried snack. It produces a protein that resembles tempeh and is comparable to manufacturing miso. Its widespread use in Southeast Asian cooking prompted Hill-Maini to research the spore-bearing creatures responsible for the dish and determine how the fungus that produces it may be accepted globally.

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The Long History of Fermentation

The process of fermentation has existed for hundreds of thousands of years. It has long been used to manufacture kitchen-table staples like kimchi, sauerkraut, and yoghurt, and it is what makes wine and beer possible. Even kombucha and sourdough bread are backed by it. According to Hill-Maini’s research, this ancient chemical process—in which bacteria, molds, or yeasts break down sugar to form simpler compounds—may be able to solve contemporary issues like food waste. Modern applications of fungal fermentation of food waste could bridge tradition and technology to address these challenges.

Industrial Scaling and Climate Impacts of Fungal Fermentation

By converting waste produced during the production of plant-based milk into affordable and nutrient-dense dishes, fungal fermentation, according to Hill-Maini, could help address the growing problem of food waste and reduce a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions from the global food system. “We’ve known for many years that fungi are nature’s degraders,” Hill-Maini stated, adding that using them to cut down on food waste streams may be the “most efficient way to convert waste into human food.”

The study paid special attention to the waste products from the manufacture of plant-based dairy, fruit, and beer. It’s interesting to note that Hill-Maini found that a lot of these inedible objects might be changed into something with enticing flavors, textures, and colors. This underscores the potential of fungal fermentation of food waste to turn what is considered trash into high-quality, sustainable food products.

Every metric tonne of wet waste that is fermented and converted into food rather than ending up in methane-spewing landfills may prevent the emission of around 600 kilograms of CO2. According to Hill-Maini, fungal fermentation of food waste might be integrated into food production facilities, allowing mold to turn waste into viable food sources instantly. “What we’re thinking is we can convert this waste into protein, and then that protein can reduce animal consumption. We might be able to have a massive impact,” he stated.

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Gourmet Innovations with Fungal Fermentation

A compelling argument for food created from garbage in the United States will need to go beyond the increasingly pointless claim that “this is better for the planet.” That type of branding, though, might not even be required. According to Rick von Hagn, who has been experimenting with N. intermedia at Blue Hill at Stone Barns for the past few years, the flavor and texture of this age-old cooking method could be enough.

A few meals at the Tarrytown, New York, farm-to-table restaurant now use fungus-fermented ingredients. When von Hagn and partner Andrew Luzmore started working with Hill-Maini in 2022, their adventure with the spore officially began. Several streams of kitchen trash were identified as potential candidates for fermentation.

Luzmore and von Hagn delivered materials to Hill-Maini, who returned fermented meals. Using the press cake leftover after the manufacturing of flaxseed oil was one of the initial attempts. “I remember taking out what looked like a burger patty and placing it in a hot pan. As it cooked, it started looking like a well-seared steak,” Luzmore stated. The fungus adds texture and flavor that can turn even the most challenging alt-protein recipes into gourmet masterpieces when combined with a variety of other ingredients.

Roadblocks to Global Adoption

Technical Barriers to Spore Accessibility

Notwithstanding its promise, this fungal strain faces obstacles to wider adoption. In contrast to Java, where leftovers are recycled like sourdough starter to generate fresh batches, it isn’t easy to find the spores required to cultivate it in the United States. In response, von Hagn and Luzmore have established a microbiology lab, and Hill-Maini is constructing a kitchen in addition to his Stanford lab to investigate the fungus’s potential uses.

Cultural Perceptions of Mold and Waste-Based Foods

Another challenge is persuading people to eat food that has been produced from garbage. “There’s a few things working against us. We’re talking about waste; we’re talking about mold. If you say ‘mold-fermented waste,’ I think people will be really turned off and disgusted,” Hill-Maini expressed.

Fungal Fermentation Beyond Fine Dining

The method has become popular outside of fine dining establishments in the United States. For example, Hill-Maini is working with Michelin-starred restaurants like Alchemist in Denmark, where the fungus is used to make desserts that enhance sweetness and flavor, and San Sebastián in Spain, which aims to develop alcoholic beverages.

The Growing Trend of Fungal Fermentation

Foods high in fungus, such as sourdough bread and blue cheese, and fermented food products have long been well-liked in the United States. Hill-Maini wants to duplicate the popularity of kombucha, a moldy, fermented beverage that was initially made thousands of years ago, using N. intermedia.

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