![]() ![]() Fermentation has mostly disappeared from our households and communities. ![]() Most food and beverage fermentation processes are ancient rituals that humans have been performing since before the dawn of history, yet we have largely relegated them to factory production. People largely assume that for microbial transformations to be safe, they require extensive knowledge and control and are therefore a specialized domain best left to experts. “How will I know whether the right bacteria are growing?” is a common question. The idea of leaving food outside of refrigeration in order to encourage bacterial growth triggers fears of danger, disease, and even death. In our time, most people are raised to view bacteria as dangerous enemies and refrigeration as a household necessity. The first time I taught a sauerkraut-making workshop, at the Sequatchie Valley Institute in 1999, I learned that there is a tremendous fear in our culture of aging food outside of refrigeration. And when I found myself with a garden, faced with a surplus of cabbages and radishes, sauerkraut beckoned me. Yet, as my path through life led me to various nutritional ideas and dietary experiments, I did learn about the digestive benefits of bacteria present in living fermented foods and began to experience their restorative powers. In fact, products of fermentation-not only pickles, but also bread, cheese, yogurt, sour cream, salami, vinegar, soy sauce, chocolate, and coffee, as well as beer and wine- were prominent in my family’s diet (as they are in many, if not most, people’s), though we never talked about them as such. Ittle could I have imagined, as a New York City kid who loved pickles, that those delicious, crunchy, garlicky sour pickles would lead me on such an extraordinary journey of discovery and exploration. ![]() S A N D O R E L L I X KAT Z Foreword by Michael Pollanį E R M E N TAT I O N AN IN-DEPTH EXPLORATION OF ESSENTIAL CONCEPTS AND PROCESSES FROM AROUND THE WORLD With Practical Information on Fermenting Vegetables, Fruits, Grains, Milk, Beans, Meats, and More ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
December 2022
Categories |