History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c25.2

v1.c25.2

On all probability the art of fermentation was invented from observation of some changes in several fruit juices and other food substances stayed over for a day or two or three or more. The technique of fermentation, as history evince, appeared almost simultaneously with settled agriculture during Neolithic period. At the outset the technique came to be recognized as ‘self- generated’, a fact proved by the two terms indicating fermented product from honey and date in Egyptian terminology (Forbes, 1965, pp.61-65).