Bokashi means fermented organic matter. It is made by using microorganisms to ferment organic matter (solid or liquid). After it is fermented (~2 weeks), it is used for different purposes: on plants, soils, composting, water treatment, bioremediation, as a probiotic, and as a fermentation starter. Different types of bokashi, called bokashi ferments, are made using different materials and ingredients depending on the purpose.
There are many types of bokashi. They could be solid or liquid, and the recipe depends on the purpose of the bokashi.
For amending the soil (gardening, farming): bokashi bran, Activated EM (bokashi spray), EM FPE.
For fermenting food waste (to make bokashi food waste): bokashi bran (bokashi sprinkle), Activated EM (bokashi spray).
The bokashi bran or bokashi sprinkle can be either bokashi bran (made with either wheat bran or rice bran) and bokashi coffee chaff.
For composting: bokashi bran, Activated EM (bokashi spray).
For bioremediating contaminated soils and water: Activated EM (bokashi spray), bokashi mudballs.
A Very Brief Primer
A purpose/goal of bokashi is to build and maintain living soil. Other purposes/goals include utilizing all local green waste/yard waste (leaves, branches, weeds, food waste, etc.), managing odor and pests (e.g., at dog runs), and bioremediating contaminated soils and water.
What is living soil? Soil that’s full of life (microbes, worms, insects) and is self-sustaining and self-balancing.
Self-sustaining: as in a forest, no one feeds a forest, microbes break down organic matter at all stages (from freshly dead to fully decomposed plant matter and all other organisms) providing a full range of nutrients.
Self-balancing: when microbial life is dense in the soil in population and diversity, they keep pathogens (disease-causing microbes, but which have their ecological role) in check and can perhaps function beneficially (for example, in the human gut, E. coli, a pathogen, naturally exists, and when our body, their environment, is healthy, i.e., with a healthy gut microbiome, they actually produce vitamin K and anti-pathogens against other pathogens; when we’re sick, esp. from food poisoning, their population explodes and change function producing toxins).
Soil can be made into living soil by various methods. The bokashi method is one way to facilitate building and maintaining living soil (or close to living soil).
At its very basic, bokashi is about applying microbes and organic matter.
The bokashi method, however, involves using microbes to ferment organic matter.
During fermentation, all kinds of microbes multiply and produce metabolites.
Metabolites are both 1) necessary for the microbes metabolism and 2) byproducts of the microbes metabolism.
One group of microbes may use one set of metabolites to produce other kinds of metabolites which are then used by other microbes.
Metabolites includes nutrients (micronutrients and macronutrients) and other beneficial substances.
On average, a microbe can produce 50 unique metabolites and anywhere from 3,700 to 16,000 metabolites in total depending on species.
Metabolites, when in abundance, can give foods vibrant colors, enhanced flavors and aromas.
Eight (8) general types of microbial metabolites:
- Amino acids: basic constituents of protein; N-rich amino acids (Rhizobia>legumes); anti-fungal amino acids protect plant roots; flavor enhancers.
- Bacteriocins: peptides/proteins, antibacterial; natural food preservatives.
- Coenzymes: non-protein compounds; necessary for enzymes to function; facilitate faster reactions; used in bioremediating contaminated soils and water.
- Enzymes: proteins; break down complex molecules; used in bioremediation.
- Organic acids: lactic acid, acetic acid (vinegar); propionic acid - suppress mold in animal feed; antioxidants; encourage plant growth.
- Pigments: ecological roles; colors (leaves, flowers, fruits, etc.); vitamins (riboflavin or B2); exhibit antibacterial, antifungal, and antibiotic properties.
- Fatty acids (short-chain, medium-chain, and long-chain fatty acids): esters; gut barrier function; nematocide effects; molecular signals with which microbes communicate; aromas in fruits and vegetables.
- Vitamins: majority of vitamins are produced by microbes; folate, riboflavin, biotin, B12 (e.g., Cyanobacteria produces B12 which other microbes and plants require); antioxidants.
The combination of these metabolites produced by the bokashi microbes is why …
- When fermenting food waste, we can do meats, bones, dairy, seafoods, raw or cooked. Generally, bokashi fermentation stabilizes organic matter (in this case food waste, which is why we can then bury/trench bokashi fermented food waste which will break down more quickly and safely in soil).
- Among the bokashi community (worldwide), instead of having to focus on dealing with pathogens, effort is on building and maintaining living soil that naturally keeps pathogens at bay.
- More vibrant colors in plants, flowers, as well as fruits and vegetables.
- More intense flavors and aromas.
Additionally, if grown in microbial rich soil (living soil),
- Fruits and vegetables picked fresh but let to mature on the vine (not picked prematurely) would be as probiotics.
More details about microbial metabolites >