Fermentation

For thousands of years, humans have used microbes to transform food — turning milk into yogurt, cabbage into sauerkraut, grapes into wine, soy into miso. Fermented foods often introduce live cultures and pre-digested compounds that many people find gentler on the gut.

Common ferments around the world

· Yogurt, kefir (dairy)
· Sauerkraut, kimchi (vegetable)
· Miso, soy sauce, tempeh (soy)
· Sourdough (grain)
· Kombucha (tea)
· Vinegar (many bases)

Something to investigate

Add one spoon of a fermented food to a meal you already like. What changes — flavor, digestion, both?

Cooking

Next lesson

Flavor