Ethnic fermentation secrets of Northeast India and emerging functional food insights

Northeast India is home to an incredible variety of ethnic fermented foods, shaped over centuries by cultural wisdom and adaptation to the local environment. From bamboo shoots, soybeans, and rice to fish, dairy, vegetables, and traditional beverages, these foods are deeply woven into daily life and are rich in beneficial microorganisms with probiotic potential. Understanding the microbial ecology, biochemical transformations, and functional metabolites of Northeast India's traditional fermented foods provides a scientific basis for improving safety, identifying bioactive ingredients, and guiding the development of next-generation fermented products. This review brings together insights from ethnomicrobiological surveys and culture-based studies to explore the microbes, fermentation pathways, and biochemical changes that give these foods their distinctive qualities, as well as their nutritional benefits and safety considerations. We highlight lesser-known products, examine toxin-producing pathogens, and profile antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), uncovering varying levels of pathogen risk across products. Additionally, fermentation space analysis reveals exciting opportunities to create new foods by creatively combining local ingredients. Finally, we look at how modern tools, including artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), can help scale up production, standardize quality, and ensure safety. Overall, by blending traditional knowledge with modern biotechnology and AI, these unique fermentation foods could find their place globally while preserving their cultural roots.