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Europe’s Love Affair with Fermentation
When we talk about fermented foods, our minds often travel to Korea for kimchi, Japan for miso, or the Middle East for yoghurt and labneh. But Europe? Europe has been fermenting food for thousands of years. Long before anyone talked about probiotics, the microbiome or...
Everyone Was Rushing. I Wasn’t.
Yesterday, I went to London to see a comedian I have been following online for years. I was really looking forward to it. The show was brilliant; the comedians before him were great, and the headliner was every bit as funny in real life as he is online. But strangely...
Microbiome Food Spotlight #9: Fermented Olives – From Bitter Fruit to Mediterranean Treasure
There is something rather magical about olives. Perhaps it's because I love them, but I don't think I'm alone in finding a bowl of good olives almost impossible to resist. Green, purple, deep black, wrinkled, plump, stuffed, marinated, briny. There are so many...
Arabian Peninsula – Ferments from the Desert
When people think of fermentation, the Arabian Peninsula may not be the first place that comes to mind. Unlike countries such as Korea, Germany, or even neighbouring Iran, the lands of Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates are not famous for shelves...
Microbiome Food Spotlight #8: Sourdough Bread – The Original Bread That Time Forgot
Walk into almost any supermarket today, and you'll find shelves filled with sliced loaves wrapped in plastic. Fast - Convenient - Ready to eat. It's easy to assume that bread has always been made this way. But for most of human history, it wasn't. Bread was slow. It...
Microbiome Food Spotlight #7: Beet Kvass – Eastern Europe’s Remarkable Fermented Beetroot Drink
Some traditional foods immediately capture people's attention. Sauerkraut. Kefir. Kimchi. Kombucha. Others remain relatively unknown outside the regions where they originated. Beet kvass is one of those hidden gems. For generations, families throughout parts of...
Microbiome Food Spotlight #6: Water Kefir – The Refreshing Fermented Drink That Often Surprises People
When people hear the word "kefir," they often think of the cultured dairy drink that originates from the Caucasus Mountains. So it often comes as a surprise to learn that there is another type of kefir altogether. Water kefir. Despite sharing a name, water kefir and...
Microbiome Food Spotlight #5: Kombucha – The Ancient Fermented Tea with a Modern Following
Walk into almost any health food shop today, and you're likely to find bottles of kombucha lining the shelves. Flavoured with berries, ginger, citrus fruits, herbs, and spices, kombucha has become one of the most recognisable fermented drinks of modern times. Yet...
Microbiome Food Spotlight #4: Kimchi – Korea’s Living Food Tradition
When people first begin exploring fermented foods, they often start with sauerkraut. After all, fermented cabbage feels familiar. But travel halfway around the world, and you'll discover another fermented vegetable tradition that has been cherished for centuries. It's...
Microbiome Food Spotlight #3: Yoghurt – A Traditional Food That Has Nourished Generations
Walk through any supermarket, and you'll find an entire aisle dedicated to yoghurt. Greek yoghurt. Natural yoghurt. Flavoured yoghurt. Drinking yoghurt. High-protein yoghurt. It's so common today that many of us barely give it a second thought. Yet behind this...