Your grandmother was probably the last member of your family who thought fermenting was just as common as you thought baking an egg.
The oldest evidence of this way of processing food dates back to more than ten thousand years before the beginning of our era. Fermenting really just means processing food so that it has a longer shelf life. With the advent of the refrigerator and the modern food industry (extreme heating and the addition of preservatives), fermentation has disappeared from the modern kitchen. Some foodies have now rediscovered it. More and more often you see a cook with kimchi and preserving jars.
Fermentation is a process in which microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi and yeasts, are used to alter a food. Micro-organisms grow through heat, oxygen, moisture and the addition of ingredients such as salt and herbs. They also make enzymes that break down certain nutrients (such as carbohydrates and proteins) and change the taste, smell, digestibility, shelf life and appearance of the product. That sounds very exciting, but a large part of the food we eat every day is fermented. Just think of bread, beer, wine, cheese, yogurt, buttermilk, cottage cheese, crème frache, sourdough bread and so on. These products are fermented in a factory and you can buy them ready-made in the supermarket. If you want to go for a maximum health effect, it is best to roll up your sleeves (and in the acid) yourself.
Read also:' Fermentation in 6 simple steps'
