Controlled rot. Almost decaying, straddling the line between edible and dangerous. Despite the negative connotation or the smell, fermentation has existed for thousands of years as a method of preservation. It improves the nutritional profile of ingredients, retains moisture and texture, and introduces new flavors not present in the original food. Sounds almost too good to be true, right? The best part is that it is within reach to ferment at home, as we eat fermented foods everyday (think yogurt, bread, wine, even chocolate!) and it would be nice to learn how to make these products ourselves. Every culture has a fermented product, as before the refrigerator, that was the way that people extended the shelf life of their meal. Some, like kimchi have even become cultural hallmarks, constituting part of a national identity and regarded as an integral tradition.
Through the course of this blog, I aim to explore global fermentation methods, explaining the cultural significance, history, science and method of preparation of each. There will be some recipes along the way, as it is a process of discovery, trial and error, but they are only suggestions for what can be done with ingredients. There are hundreds of books out there on the subject, and numerous websites with far more depth than I could cover, but I want to distill that information so that it is more accessible. Hopefully, the blog will accomplish two things: 1)convince people that fermentation is not as daunting as it sounds, and it is delicious to try at home, and 2)food and culture are intrinsically bound, and fermentation represents just one facet of their intersection. As I explore the world, from kimchi to yogurt to vinegar, it is my wish that those who read this may understand why fermentation holds potential to make food that much better. I truly hope that you enjoy reading as much as I, and that as you try new things, you might even discover that you never knew how much you had missed. - Ben
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AuthorFood is the universal language. Archives
May 2020
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