Bokashi bran carries beneficial bacteria and yeasts that start fermentation when food scraps enter the sealed bucket.

A sealed Bokashi bucket limits oxygen, allowing inoculated microbes to acidify scraps instead of fully decomposing them.

Sealed, acidic fermentation lets Bokashi handle meat, dairy, and cooked foods that many open compost systems avoid.

The acidic material still needs soil or another compost system to complete its decomposition before use.