I am totally enjoying Sandor Ellix Katz’s vision of ‘the bubbly world’ as he describes it in Wild Fermentation. I got the book out because fermentation is awesome. We all know it and we all know the basics of why… but still, really… why?
Well, Katz’s Tshirt in the first photo in the book states: “there’s a party in my pantry!” which pretty much sums up fermented food, right? Love it. A great book, full of recipes and passion. Eminently quotable, too. And so I shall throw a few cool points at you below, but in summary:
Fermentation makes food more digestible, more nutritious, and tastier. Want proof? Think: bread and cheese, chocolate, coffee, wine, and beer. Think kimchi, sauerkraut, yoghurt, miso. Think YUM and keep thinking...
Sandor Ellix Katz on the benefits of fermentation and fermented food:
“Fermented foods and drinks are quite literally alive with flavor and nutrition.”(p.1 Katz)
“Bacteria enable us to effectively digest our food and assimilate its nutrients. They synthesize essential nutrients so that we do not need to obtain them via food. It has become clear that serotonin and other chemicals that influence how we think and feel are regulated by gut bacteria. Our immune function is largely the work of bacteria, and bacteria that come into contact with stimulate immunity.” (p.9) “Fermented foods can improve digestion, immune function, mental health, and possibly much more, contributing in important ways to overall health….” (p.xxi)
“One great practical benefit of fermentation is that it can preserve food. Fermentation organisms produce alcohol, lactic acid, and acetic acid, all “bio-preservatives” that retain nutrients while preventing spoilage and the growth of pathogenic organisms. Vegetables, fruits, milk, fish, and meat are highly perishable, and our ancestors used whatever techniques they could discover to store foods from periods of plenty for later consumption.” (p.1)
However, “Fermentation doesn’t only preserve nutrients, but generally breaks them down into more easily accessible forms.” (p.2) From toxic to just ‘difficult-to-digest’, fermentation makes foods more digestible. “Not all food toxins are as dramatic as cyanide [which is present at poisonous levels in Cassava prior to the simple soaking fermentation to which it is commonly subjected]. Grains and legumes contain a compound called phytic acid, which binds with zinc, calcium, iron, magnesium, and other minerals, blocking their absorption and potentially leading to mineral deficiencies. Fermenting grains by soaking them before cooking breaks down phytic acid, rendering the grain far more nutritious.” (p.2) “Fermentation also creates new nutrients. As they go through their life cycles, microbial cultures create B vitamins, including folic acid, riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, and biotin.” (p.3)
“Perhaps the most profound benefit of eating fermented foods is the bacteria themselves, which are probiotic, meaning they can be beneficial to us. Many different fermented foods are embodiments of dense and biodiverse microbial communities, which interact with our microbiome in ways we are just beginning to recognize. This interaction can improve digestion, immune function, mental health, and many other aspects of our well-being.” (p.3) “Microorganisms are our ancestors and our allies. They keep the soil fertile and are an indispensable part of the cycle of life. Without them, there could be no other life.” (p.xviii) Unfortunately; “The advent of microbiology gave rise to a sort of colonial outlook toward microorganisms, that they, like other elements of nature and other human cultures, must be dominated and exploited.” (p.20) We are now beginning to realise the adverse effects on health that excessive anti-microbial behaviour has and, hopefully, things are coming full-cycle back to valuing fermented foods and the microbes that make them tasty.
Sandor Ellix Katz (c2016) Wild Fermentation: The flavor, nutrition, and craft of live-culture foods. Updated and Revised Edition. Chelsea Green Publishing, White River Junction, VT
https://www.wildfermentation.com/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08xxfz5
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09cvyv1
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3csv0pf
Actually, the BBC 4 Food Programme has loads of interesting podcasts - and plenty on fermentation. Check out:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b073655s
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01g4ks7
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3cswpt4
NOTE: IF you want to know more about the fermentation work inside a good bread, Vanessa Kimbell is an active voice on the matter: https://www.sourdough.co.uk/