Exploring New Species of Lactic Acid Bacteria in Fermented Foods: A Case Study of Zha‐Chili

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are a diverse group of microorganisms found in various environments. They have applications in industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals. The search for functional strains and novel LAB species is a continuous endeavor. Although conventional pure‐culture techniques are used for LAB strain discovery, recent advances in microbiology have enabled the integration of high‐throughput sequencing, cultivation, and multi‐omics technologies. This review presents an overview of new LAB species reported in the past 5 years, focusing on their origin, distribution, and particularly the emergence in Zha‐chili, a traditional Chinese fermented food. The article explores the significance of discovering new LAB species and examines various methods used for their isolation and identification, using Zha‐chili as an example. This review concludes that Zha‐chili exhibits a rich and unique diversity of LAB, making it a valuable reservoir of LAB resources. The discovery of novel species contributes to understanding the evolutionary relationships among LAB and their fermentation mechanisms. The combination of culturomics, ultra‐deep sequencing, and polyphasic taxonomy techniques is advantageous for unearthing new LAB species in fermented foods. Furthermore, innovative approaches, such as high‐throughput cultivation and artificial intelligence, hold promise for improving the efficiency, accuracy, and selectivity of screening for new species.