Introduction
How’s it going? Thanks for coming!
First of all I’ll introduce myself for those of you who don’t know me. I first started experimenting with fermentation as a teenager in rural Ireland, producing what can barely be described as cider for me and my friends. Isn't it wonderful the mischief you can get up to with some office equipment, baker's yeast and a couple litres of Aldi's finest value juice. It’s safe to assume that, despite some early taste-related setbacks, I caught the bug.
Almost two decades on, (and a massive growth in what I’d consider “consumable”) my obsession has only grown and now here I am with my very own shop, soon to be selling all things from tasty fresh pints to deliciously aged misos. If you need something tangy and delicious I am your man (now with 100% less ‘gutrot’ cider).
So alongside my first year of opening, I’ve decided to do a monthly “Fermentation 101 Newsletter” to hopefully introduce to, or remind readers of, some of my favourite ferment staples. The tone is meant to be relaxed and conversational and hopefully opens the way for you to eventually come into the store and ask more questions or to start having a fiddle about yourselves at home.
Remember there are no dumb questions, only dumb answers and I swear if you can think of it, I’ve probably asked it myself. No I’m not telling you where babies come from but I will share with you the knowledge to make a delicious Kraut.
After these 12 months of newsletters, who knows where we’ll go next! I have a few ideas for some deep dives. If you have any thoughts or feedback, please do share on Instagram (if it’s positive). If not, then please email [email protected] and I’ll be sure to keep it to myself. And, as always, please do come in and say hi at our Ramsgate store once we're open, where soon you'll be able to partake of some of each month's topic.
So with that “coherent” ramble behind us, we’re kicking off this series with “The History of Fermentation”. The who’s, what’s and why’s of this ancient food practice.
The Origins of Fermentation
(my wife says I need to stop calling it the origin of fart-cabbage)
Ironically Fermentation is still poorly understood in a lot of ways, even though it has been a cornerstone of human history, serving as one of the earliest methods of food preservation. It was still commonplace in most households, before the widespread uptake of in-house refrigeration in the 1920s US and 1950s UK. The first evidence of fermentation we have so far roughly dates back to around 13,000 BCE in present-day Israel, where researchers have discovered signs of large-scale beer production likely linked to religious ceremonies. This beverage was nothing like the beer we know of today, being drunk through a straw and fairly sour (more on that in a later addition).
Shortly after this (cosmologically speaking anyway), around 10,000 BCE, evidence of the fermentation of animal products emerged, likely through the spontaneous souring of goat or sheep milk. Either through the natural inclination of fresh milk to sour within hours (Irish Clabber) or via the enzymes found in the stomach lining of certain animals. Often these stomachs (a by-product like leather) were dried and turned into, easy to make and carry, water bottles and would be often used to store milk for travellers such as horse riders, as seen on the Mongolian Step to this day. This process probably led to the creation of early fresh cheeses, resembling the soft goat’s cheese we know today and later on hard, long aged cheeses (but again more on that in a later issue, I know I’m such a dirty tease).
In comparison to what most people would assume, fermentation of fruits and vegetables comes a lot later and by approximately 7,000 BCE we start to see it, with evidence of fermented fruit and rice beverages in China along the Yellow River being some of the earliest examples. By 3,000 BCE, detailed beer recipes were being recorded, showcasing fermentation as both a practical tool, but also as a cultural tradition with specific community roles dedicated for the first time to the art of food production and preservation.
From preserving surplus produce to enhancing flavours and providing essential nutrients, fermentation has not only been a vital aspect of human evolution and survival but a massive dictator of our cultural evolution as well. Over millennia, it has become deeply woven into the fabric of cultures worldwide, reflecting our ingenuity and adaptability as a species as well as our inability to not stick things in our mouths to see what it tastes like, as we are all at the end of the day, toddlers.
What Even IS Fermentation?
(Salty Fart-Cabbage, that’s all it is)
Fermentation is just a polite word for controlled rot. Yes there is no difference between rot and fermentation, it is all the breakdown of organic matter back into the building blocks of life so that the cycle can start again. Since ‘ape together strong’ we figured out, with our collective lust for getting drunk, that there are three types of organisms (in regards to our subject matter anyway). Putrification microorganisms (bad bad icky yucky bin slime), pathogenic microorganisms (my god why have I gone blind? It was only a little red mould!) and beneficial microorganisms (ooooh lovely, a nice charcuterie board with a tasty Malbec).
All three of these types of microorganisms then break down into a further two sub categories: aerobic (needs oxygen like you, you sexy little sausage) & anaerobic (doesn’t need oxygen). These organisms typically break down carbohydrates into sugars (which can further be fermented into alcohols or acids), proteins into amino acids (which gives those deliciously savoury flavours in charcuterie or miso) and fats into glycerides (and other big science words).The one we tend to avoid in fermentation is fats as we have evolved a very sensitive ability to detect rancidity due to our scavenger origins. Rancidity being a great indicator of potential food poisoning, but that also means we cannot stand it any way as our brain screams NO!
Carbohydrate fermentation on the other hand is fantastic as it allows the creation of alcohols and acids. Alcohol, as we know, kills bacteria and the likes (also makes me want to dance but that's for another time) and acid stops the formation of/kills off the bad kind of microorganisms allowing us to store foods long term. This is of vital importance when most of your food ripens all at once, once a year. Protein fermentation on the other hand is great for bioavailability (making the food easier to digest and become more nutritious) and flavour. Those amino acids are tasty tasty little things and tell our brain to eat as there are lots of potential calories available.
Fermented foods are incredibly diverse, and play a vital role in global cuisines. They are celebrated for their ability to enhance flavours (for example a ripe camembert made from much milder milk) and improve nutrient quality (for example making vitamin C bio-available from cabbage when turned into Sauerkraut) all whilst preserving food from spoiling . Almost every culture has a history of fermentation, for example miso (Japan), kimchi (Korea), kefir (Eastern Europe) and alcohol (worldwide).
But Why Ferment?
(Why fart-cabbage in the modern world)
There is growing evidence to suggest that fermented foods may support weight management, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes, and even improve mood and brain function. That said, let’s be clear: eating fermented foods isn’t a magic cure for diabetes or a shortcut to your ideal summer body!
However, even if all these things are but hocus pocus, the point still stands that they just taste God-dang delicious and if on the off chance they are making you healthier, then it’s a win win in my eyes.
Beyond the potential health benefits, there’s another fantastic reason to embrace fermentation: it extends the shelf life of your food. As someone who comes from a background of food scarcity, I can appreciate how the world is making it harder to live healthily.
Sure you could buy those yellow sticker carrots but lets be honest they’ll be mouldy by the weekend and you’ve wasted a vital pound you could have spent elsewhere. By dicing those carrots up on the day and adding a little salt and water, you could extend the shelf life of those carrots by months. Not only does your money go further (no more six days of carrot soup) but it adds flavour and nutrition as well, which when you’re feeding yourself or a family, is a weight off your mind. Fermentation transforms food, creating new flavours and textures that add variety to your meals in a natural, minimally processed way, which is something we sorely need in the era of ultra high processed muck.
I’m on board - but what now?
Well, you’ve already subscribed to my newsletter, you smart cookie you. So you are now officially a member of The Fermentorium Empire so go fourth and expand our reach of deliciousness and spread the good word to all of your friends and family. For everyone that signs up, they’ll get an email delving into one of my personal favourite ferments each month. We’ll also send out shop updates, classes, lectures and a whole bunch of other fun stuff so please do keep your eyes peeled.
But you’re keen to get started now - good for you! I couldn’t agree more, no time like the present. If you’re local to Ramsgate, you'll soon be able pop in to say hi and if you wander past you may just catch me for an in person update on progress. If Kent is a bit of a stretch for you, then while you plan your pilgrimage, please do search for any local fermenters near you (often found at farmers markets or health food stores) and please feel free to let us know about them, we’re always on the look out. Otherwise give us a follow on Instagram @the_fermentorium for more casual updates and posts as we go. So go forth my disciples, grab a jar, bottle or tub and get experimenting!
If you're brand new to ferments then I’d recommend you start with kombucha - there are many delicious, craft options on the market with tangy and sweet flavours that make it very accessible (a lot of the supermarket brands aren’t great). If you’re braver sort - a shot of kefir every morning will give your guts a kick start to the day (anecdotal evidence only here I’m afraid, but I’m telling you a month on kefir and you’ll notice when you skip a few days!). An even easier way to incorporate more ferments into your life, switch in 50% live yoghurt anywhere you’d usually use mayonnaise - you’ll never look back.
Sources
https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2018/09/crafting-beer-lead-cereal-cultivation
https://phys.org/news/2021-08-evidence-beer-years-southern-china
https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/interactive/2023/beer-history-types-timeline
https://www.lhf.org/2014/03/beyond-sauerkraut-a-brief-history-of-fermented-foods
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10408398.2017.1383355
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/7/1527