The Art of Fermentation: New York Times Bestseller

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The bible for the D.I.Y set: detailed instructions for how to make your own sauerkraut, beer, yogurt and pretty much everything involving microorganisms."--The New York Times This is not a line-by-line recipe cookbook, but it contains detailed instructions on fermenting (or creating via fermentation) nearly every imaginable food or beverage. After a foreword by Michael Pollan, Katz ("Wild Fermentation") explores the scientific basis of fermentation, then gives details for creating everything from yogurts to prosciutto to wines, beer, and kombucha. He emphasizes how fermentation influenced human development. Used to preserve food, it affected human biology so that humans could eat foods that would be poisonous otherwise, and it had an impact on global human culture as a reflection of indigenous cultural identity. Simply put, fermentation allows lactic acid bacteria naturally found in the air to overcome and exclude bacteria that are harmful to humans, and it increases advantageous chemical compounds, such as vitamins, in the process. There is a generous photo section of tools, containers, and processes; along with fascinating electron microscope photos of bacteria, which convey a sense of wonder at the unseen world of fermentation. VERDICT: Katz takes fermentation down to the molecular level while keeping it conversational and accessible to the generalist. Fermentation foodies will be ecstatic.

GABA is involved in several human physiologic conditions, such as neurotransmission, and it is a hypertension modulator [ 98]. Several studies reported reduction of hypertension, prevention of cancer cell proliferation, and modulation of blood cholesterol levels following regular administration of GABA in humans and animals [ 99]. Although legumes can have already high level of GABA [ 98, 99, 100], its content can increase due to LAB with glutamate-decarboxylase activity. This feature was already proposed for the in situ enrichment of fermented milks [ 101].

renewal not only of agriculture but also of the processes used to transform and preserve the products of I definitely do not wish to suggest that the simple act of fermenting in your kitchen will save the world. I have written of fermentation as “a form of activism”. I stand by this notion, but not because there is anything inherently political about fermentation. People can be narrow in their focus, and often the reasons people ferment are specific, for example preservation of garden vegetables, or a desire to improve health, or the pursuit of compelling flavours. Katz’s follow-up in 2012, The Art of Fermentation, had an even bigger impact, winning a James Beard award in the US. He modestly deflects the idea that he should be singled out for praise, and disputes the fact that the surge in interest we’re seeing now should even be regarded as new. “I feel thrilled that all of these culinary visionaries are seeing the power of fermentation and using their imaginations to take it to places that I never could have imagined,” he say. But eat in any Chinese or south-east Asian restaurant, Katz points out, and there will be a fermented element such as soy or fish sauce in many dishes. “It’s not that it’s become a fact in the last 20 years, it’s that it always was,” continues Katz. “We just weren’t paying attention or thinking about it. Now we’re seeing so many more intentional processes.” Sandor Katz has proven himself to be the king of fermentation with this new book, an exhaustive yet very readable compendium of fermentation wisdom and techniques from around the world. A must-have in the libraries of anyone interested in food and nutrition." --Sally Fallon Morell, President, The Weston A. Price Foundation Aiming at formulating products without additives inclusion, the use of exopolysaccharide (EPS)-producing bacteria as starters for PBYL fermentation is one of the most investigated alternatives. The in-situ EPS production leads to the improvement of textural, sensorial, nutritional, and functional properties of PBYL [ 11, 12].

He’s well aware that it would have been easier and probably more remunerative to return with a fresh batch of kraut and bread recipes. “Not every reader of my earlier books is going to find this accessible or interesting,” he says. “On the other hand, it’s a short, fast-paced read. A lot of people who can get excited about something beyond recipes and ‘how-to’ will find it interesting and provocative.” The use of starters previously isolated from the same matrix to be fermented was reported as a successful strategy also for emmer-based YL [ 32]. In this case, the selection of a proper starter was carried out by comparing the technological properties of LAB strains previously isolated from emmer flour (belonging to La. plantarum W. confusa, and Le. brevis species) and allochthonous EPS-producing LAB (strains belonging to W. cibaria, La. plantarum, and P. pentosaceus species, previously isolated from wheat sourdoughs). The autochthonous La. plantarum 6E resulted the best performing strain allowing the production of an emmer YL product with a low glycemic index (pGI of 70), characterized by relevant concentration of the vitamins thiamin (B1) and niacin (PP). Another La. plantarum strain (LP09) was selected among 13 commercial LAB, as starter to produce an oat flake YL product [ 34], characterized by low starch hydrolysis index (HI = 45, corresponding to a pGI of 64), as the combined results of biological acidification and the high concentration of β-glucan (53%) in the matrix.

PBYL are intended to be consumed after a storage period in refrigerated conditions, similarly to the dairy counterpart. In these conditions, the persistence of optimal textural and sensory characteristics for a relatively long period is considered crucial. Some of the changes occurring during storage include aqueous phase separation, loss of viscosity, appearance of off odors, and overall intensification of acidic smell and flavor.