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Fermentation Atlas

Cereals and bread from Romania

Borș (fermented bran liquid)borș

Wheat bran and a little maize flour are stirred into water with some sediment from the last batch and left in a loosely closed vessel for two or three days. Lactic bacteria and yeasts turn the liquid sour, and it is strained off to sour ciorbă soups or to drink. Made in 4 steps over 2 days – 3 days. The longest step, leave to sour in a loosely closed vessel, takes 2–3 days (Pasqualone A 2018) and runs at 14–15 °C (Pasqualone A 2018). Lactic acid bacteria, mostly lactobacilli; Lactobacillus amylolyticus the most common and abundant species and Yeasts Pichia kudriavzevii and Kluyveromyces marxianus do most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main step2–3 daysReported[pasqualone2018]Leave to sour in a loosely closed vessel
Temperature14–15 °CReported[pasqualone2018]Leave to sour in a loosely closed vessel
AciditypH 3.4–3.8Measured[pasqualone2018]Leave to sour in a loosely closed vessel
Fully documentedCereals and bread2 days – 3 daysMore cereals and breadMore from HungaryMore from Romania

Recipe

Amounts from a sourceA laboratory batch (about 3 L) that followed the artisanal method; household recipes vary from one area of Romania to another.
300 gWheat bran[pasqualone2018]
60 gMaize (corn) flour[pasqualone2018]
3 LTap water[pasqualone2018]
60 gSediment from the previous batch (huște), as starter · The first batch ferments without it[pasqualone2018]
Sour cherry leaves, lovage or dill (optional) · For flavour[pasqualone2018]
A slice of bread, often black bread (optional) · Sometimes added to start the fermentation[zugravu2025]
Starterbackslop (huște sediment from the previous batch); the first starter comes from spontaneous fermentation

Total time across the recorded steps: 2 days – 3 days

Start
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What changes: Wheat bran, maize flour and old sediment are stirred into water

Step 1 of 4
Mix bran, maize flour, water and starter
Time
Not documented
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Lactic acid bacteria
Yeasts

Output: bran suspension.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Not documented for this step.

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

What makes this one different

Borș is a sour liquid, not a porridge or a beer. Wheat bran is the main substrate, and the sediment of each batch starts the next one. It is a different thing from beetroot borscht.

Related ferments

Variants

  • Commercial borșUsually pasteurised; two retail samples measured pH 3.3 and 3.4.
  • Cibere (Hungary)The historical Hungarian name for a similar bran sour.

Safety

Strains isolated from borș inhibited Listeria monocytogenes in laboratory tests, and finished borș reaches about pH 3.3–3.4. Keep it cold once strained.

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

  1. [pasqualone2018] Pasqualone A., Summo C., Laddomada B., Mudura E., Coldea T.E. 2018, Effect of processing variables on the physico-chemical characteristics and aroma of borş, a traditional beverage derived from wheat bran, Food Chem 265:242–252, doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.05.095 (author preprint)paper
  2. [grosutudor2026] Grosu-Tudor S. et al. 2026, Decoding the microbiota of borş, multifunctional potential of a traditional Romanian beverage fermentation, bioRxiv preprint, doi:10.64898/2026.08.13.744363paper
  3. [zugravu2025] Zugravu C.A., Constantin C. 2025, Eastern European fermented foods, nutritional value, functional potential, and cultural heritage, Foods 15:28, doi:10.3390/foods15010028paper
  4. [s1] Wikipedia, Borș (bran) (outline only)wiki