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The Science of Fermentation [audio]

69 points by fallinditch

by bane

4 subcomments

Some anecdotes:
- My wife is Korean, and a lot of Korean food is fermented, preserved, or otherwise kept using a traditional pre-refrigeration method. There are a number of really beautiful traditions that come from the logistics of keeping stuff around for months, or even years. The idea of things being diverted off at various stages of fermentation for different uses was a massive revelation to my American mind.
- That being said, my Korean relatives are completely blown away by some old Western methods of fermentation especially around land mammal meats -- various sausages, smoked meats, salted meats -- and fermented milk products like cheeses.
- The best restaurant in the world, I think in Norway, featured a dedicated fermentation R&D lab as part of their core restaurant menu development process.
- The global trade in alcoholic drinks in based on truly beautiful and sophisticated battles between various micro-organisms.
- My friends in the bio-world recently (in the last few years) have taken an interest in fermentation as part of the thinking on long-term food sources for space habitability. Nothing produces the incredible complexity in microbiology, specifically ones good for food sources for humans, creates anything close to the complexity of fermentation. The thought it using stages of fermentation to produce all of the feed material needed for complete human nutrition. But it's perpetual.
Bonus - you might also divert some parts of the process into fuel, air, and other required processes. It's incredibly compelling, highly technical (informed by modern AI models) research.

by vman81

0 subcomment

About half of all Faroese traditional food is fermented mutton or fish - air dried and boiled/roasted it triggers a lot of savory flavors that simply aren't on the spectrum of food you can buy at a supermarket. All of these methods were developed out of necessity before refrigeration was a thing. You needed the october meat to last till summer of next year in a subarctic climate. Methodical drying and curing did the trick. There is a wonderful spectrum of aged/fermented/dried before actual inedible rot/decay.

by KaiserPro

0 subcomment

The food programme is excellent and wide ranging. It talks, more often than not to subject matter experts. Its what the BBC does best.
If you are not british and want to understand britian's approach to food, then https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01klvhq is your programme.

by frogulis

3 subcomments

It occurred to me at some point that what many "fine" foods have in common is fermentation. Tea, coffee, chocolate, cheese, alcohol, cured meats, dry aged meats, others I can't think of right now. Makes sense, as the complex biological processes are of course going to lead to the culinary complexity and variety that is necessary for connoisseurship.

by ljf

0 subcomment

If you are looking for a fermented foods guide/cookboard/potted history - I really recommend 'Of Cabbages and Kimchi': https://fermentingchange.substack.com/p/on-my-bookshelf-of-c...
I enjoyed 'The Art of Fermentation' by Sandor Katz, but is wasn't guide/cookery book enough for me - 'Of Cabbages' hit the right note, and I've been working my way thorough it all.
I'm a little obsessed with fermented chilli sauces, and have been using the brine to make an excellent hot ketchup, than friends keep asking for more of.

by fallinditch

0 subcomment

In northern Greenland they make kiviaq: in the summer go out with a large net and catch about 500 auks (small sea birds). Stuff them whole into a single seal skin, sew it up and bury it under a pile of rocks. After 6 months eat the whole birds. Apparently delicious.

by anfractuosity

0 subcomment

Thought that podcast was very interesting. I bought the book - 'textbook of sake brewing' a while ago. I've brewed beer before, but rather fancy trying making sake.

by teekert

0 subcomment

As someone who bakes about 4 sourdough breads a week I can appreciate this :)