| Summary: | Sour porridges are a kind of fermented cereal food consumed widely, especially in Asia and Africa. They hold a rich source of beneficial bacterial communities exposed to humans, which needs to be studied more. We analyzed the microbiota of five representative sour porridges from China using 16S rDNA amplicon, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) visualization. Firmicutes was the most abundant phylum. Genera Lactobacillus and Acetobacter were the richest among the five sour porridges. All the sour porridge samples shared 12 bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs), mainly belonging to Lactobacillus, Acetobacter, Weissella, and Enterococcus. Distinct bacterial communities colonized each sour porridge. Significant correlation existed between the microbiota composition and the chemical properties of sour porridge—the content of amino acid (AA), protein (P), flavonoid (F), reducing sugar (RS) and starch (S). Overall, on average, approximately 108 bacterial 16S rDNA numbers were quantified in one gram of sour porridge. Based on the 16S rDNA profile, microbial functions were primarily involved in carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism, sensory system, signaling molecules and interactions. The results indicate that about 1011 bacterial cells were consumed with one bowl of sour porridge of 300 g weight. Sour porridge samples made in the laboratory also verified the order of magnitude of the study. The research provided what and how many microbes consumers eat with sour porridge and a reference for the fermentation improvement of sour porridge.
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