By Jeff Burns
One
of the oldest methods of preparing food, found in cultures around the world, is
fermentation. The fermentation process
has been used in beverage making since 7000-6000 BCE, in China, India, Georgia,
Mesopotamia, Egypt, Central America, and throughout Africa and Asia. All sorts of foods have been fermented
including beans, grains, vegetables, fruits, meats, milk, fish, and tea.
Fermented foods are an important part of the cuisines of many different
cultures. Lately, researchers have been
touting the health benefits of fermented foods, citing their probiotic effects
and vitamin enriched nature.
We
already make a lot of relishes and pickles, so we decided to try some
fermenting with a couple of popular fermented foods: sauerkraut and kimchi. Both are fermented cabbage dishes. Sauerkraut is mostly associated with German
and eastern European cultures, while kimchi is Korean. Sauerkraut immigrated to America along with
German and eastern European immigrants in the 19th century. In the
immigrant neighborhoods of cities across America, it quickly became a
staple. In the tenements of New York
City in the late 1800s and early 1900s, men would go door to door with their
cabbage cutting mandolins, shredding heads of cabbage for a penny each. This saved the housewife time, labor, and
space, and once she had her shredded cabbage, she could use her own family
recipe to make the sauerkraut. Our
attempt turned out great.
Encouraged,
we tackled the kimchi. We found a recipe
online, ordered a Korean spice mix, shredded, spiced, and then let fermentation
take its course. That’s one of the
advantages of the process: you just let
nature take its course. We jarred it,
and a week and a half later, it was ready for tasting. Another homerun!. Now to find ways to use up jars of sauerkraut
and kimchi.
Want
to learn more about fermentation and maybe give it a shot yourself? There are lots of websites full of
information about the health benefits of fermented foods and recipes and how-to
guides. There are lots of books as
well. A great book to start with is The
Art of Fermentation by Sandor Ellix
Katz, a James Beard Award winner (a big deal in the food world), considered a
bible of fermentation.
