Even thousands of years ago, the Egyptians made use of yeast in the production of bread and beer – but without really knowing what mysterious force was so helpful to them in baking and brewing. This secret was not revealed until much later by Louis Pasteur, who discovered yeast and its mode of action in 1857 with the aid of a microscope. This also explains why yeast, which is so essential for beer production, is not mentioned at all in the German Purity Law of 1516.
What is yeast?
Yeasts are single-celled mini-organisms that belong to the lower fungi and are invisible to the naked eye. They occur everywhere in nature as wild yeasts and have been cultivated for centuries as cultured yeasts with very special properties. After all, they are the natural trick in making bread, beer or wine.
What is yeast used for?
Yeast is a real diva that only develops its powers under very specific conditions. It doesn’t like cold, fat or salt at all, but when it’s toasty warm and it’s fed starch and sugar, it grows and thrives almost explosively. It ferments starch and sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. During baking, this makes the dough of cakes, bread and rolls fluffy and fluffy. In beverages such as wine or beer, it provides the alcohol. And by the way, it also provides flavor and vitamins.
- For baking, baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is used, which is available freshly pressed into a cube or dried as a powder in any supermarket and which drives the dough up through particularly high levels of carbon dioxide.
- For beer, special brewing yeasts are used, of which there are top-fermented, for example, for white or wheat beer and dark beers, and bottom-fermented representatives for pilsner, export and lager.
- For winemaking, specialized wine yeasts are used depending on the grape variety and the desired result.
For the taste of yeast products, it is crucial what the yeast is fed during breeding: Milk yeast grown on whey tastes slightly sweet to neutral, while the noble or spicy yeast grown on molasses and beer yeast grown on barley malt and hops tastes mild to tart. How the yeast works can be observed quite easily: Just mix some yeast with a teaspoon of sugar and some lukewarm water and keep this mix nice and warm. And off you go – an impressive experiment, especially for children.
The health plus due to numerous nutrients
The inner values of yeast are also impressive, as yeast contains plenty of nutritional power:
- Especially the content of B vitamins in yeast is enormous. Represented are especially the vitamins B1, B2, B6 and niacin. This mix ensures a smooth metabolism and supports muscles and nerves – balm for all who are stressed and tense.
- With folic acid, pantothenic acid and biotin yeast also provides true beauty vitamins, which are important for healthy skin, hair and nails.
- But also the content of minerals and trace elements can be seen. Yeast contains potassium and sodium in an ideal ratio, calcium for strong bones and teeth, magnesium for supple muscles, iron for blood formation and zinc for good defenses.
- Due to abundant high-quality protein, yeast is also a good protein supplement for those who need more: Vegetarians, growing children, pregnant or breastfeeding women and athletes.
However, there is one hurdle on the way to the valuable inside of the yeast: this has a strong cell wall that the body can not crack. Who wants to improve his nutrient supply with the protozoa quite specifically, should therefore prefer products with digested yeast. Here, the hard cell walls have already been cracked and the power is fully available to the body. But some yeasts also offer a health benefit in their whole form: live yeast fungi have a probiotic effect. That is, they provide a healthy balance of intestinal flora – important for a strong immune system and effective, natural remedy for diarrhea.
Product diversity of yeast
Everyone knows the typical yeast cube or dry yeast for baking and the Hefeweizen. But yeast also comes in numerous other varieties that are worth trying. A large selection of yeast products is available in health food stores and organic stores, but also the normal supermarket now has a lot to offer.Yeast flakes and powder, for example, are very suitable for low-salt seasoning of spicy and sweet dishes. When seasoning, it is important to add the yeast only after cooking, because heat quickly reduces the vitamin content and diminishes the positive effect. Vegetarian spreads based on yeast are a good alternative to sausage and cheese. Yeast extract, which is very popular in England, also has some fans in Germany. It can also be used as a spread, for seasoning or for making broths. Pharmacies also sell brewer’s yeast tablets as dietary supplements, sometimes additionally combined with certain vitamins and/or minerals, and yeast products for a healthy intestine. They are a proven remedy for the prevention and treatment of diarrhea, such as traveler’s diarrhea, are recommended as an adjunct to antibiotic treatments to protect the intestinal flora, and for skin problems such as acne.
