The Nutritional Value of Two Fermented Milk/Cereal Foods Named ‘Greek Trahanas’ and ‘Turkish Tarhana’ : A Review

Abstract

Fermented foods are an important part of diets in many parts of the world and are known from ancient times. Traditional fermented cereal foods are widely used in the diet of people in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and some parts of Europe. The technology of making these products as well as the type of milk and cereal used are of the main factors that influence their nutritional value. Nutritional and safety benefits have been attributed to fermented foods which are an important part of people diets. 'Trahanas' in Cyprus and Greece and 'Tarhana' in Turkey are two of the oldest traditional fermented milk/cereal foods and very nutritive foods due to the nutritional properties of wheat and milk/yoghurt. This work is a review on the nutritional value of these products.

Cereal type significantly affects the composition and reconstitution characteristics of dried fermented milk‐cereal composites

“…The nutritional value of these foods is determined primarily by their composition but is also influenced by texture and viscosity, which affects the rate of gastric emptying, satiety, and appeal . Examples of dried milk‐cereal based composites that are reconstituted prior to consumption include super cereal plus (SCP), kishk, and tarhana . Super cereal plus, a category of fortified blended food (FBF) supplied by the World Food Programme, is designed to improve the diet of young children, aged 6–59 months, in food‐insecure regions.…”

Study of the process and microbiological quality of Gappal, a fermented food from Burkina Faso based on milk and millet dough

“…It constitutes the base of many fermented foods and often mixed with milk (A. Y. Tamime and D. Mc Nulty, 1999; F. Hama et al, 2009;A. Georgala, 2013).…”

Tarhana Cipsi

“…Yapılan bazı araştırmalarda tarhana üretiminde inek yoğurdu yerine soya yoğurdunun da kullanılabileceği, her iki yoğurt çeşidinden elde edilen tarhanalarda duyusal açıdan farklılık gözlenmediği ve soya yoğurdu kullanılarak üretilen tarhananın renginin daha beyaz olduğu bildirilmiştir [13 ve 14]. Yunanistan'da "trahanas" adı verilen tarhananın yapımında da koyun ve keçi sütlerinden elde edilen yoğurtların kullanıldığı bildirilmiştir [15]. Yapılan bir çalışmada, tarhana üretimi sırasında yoğurt yerine peyniraltı suyu konsantresi kullanımının da mümkün olduğu bildirilmiştir [16].…”