Fermented Foods: The History and Science of a Microbiological Wonder

Description

Fermented Foods serves up the history and science behind some of the world's most enduring food and drink. It begins with wine, beer and other heady brews before going on to explore the often whimsical histories of fermented breads, dairy, vegetables and meat, and to speculate on fermented fare's possible future. Along the way, readers will learn, among other things, about Roquefort cheese's fabled origins, the scientific drive to brew better beer, and the then-controversial biological theory that saved French wine. Fermented Foods also makes several detours into lesser-known territory - African beers, the formidable cured meats of subarctic latitudes, and the piquant, sometimes deadly products of Southeast Asia. It is a fun, yet comprehensive and timely survey of the world's fermented foods.

Christine Baumgarthuber is creator of The Austerity Kitchen, a one-of-a-kind culinary history blog hosted by The New Inquiry, where she also serves as a contributing editor. She lives in Providence, Rhode Island.

"Baumgarthuber's new book adds to the considerable output of the past 20 years on fermented food and drinks. It's a field admitting of many perspectives: regional, scientific, how-to and cultural, social, and even intellectual history. . . . In sum, the book gathers and synthesizes, with useful figures, a tremendous amount of historical, scientific, and technical information on how gangs of microbiota produce provender for our daily delectation. The riot of resultant flavors and their associated traditions are fascinating, and the book is a welcome addition to the fermented-food canon." * Digestible Bits and Bites * "Main streets and farmers' markets show off sourdough bakers, craft brewers, small winemakers, cheesewrights, soy sauce makers, and more. Such artisans reclaim fermented foods, which modern industry appropriated, compromised, and made mysterious. Now Baumgarthuber fascinatingly renews our acquaintance with the long list of ancient microbiological wonders achievable domestically." -- Michael Symons, author of "Meals Matter: A Radical Economics Through Gastronomy" "How did the very foods that nourished and sustained humans for thousands of generations become increasingly feared and almost forgotten? Baumgarthuber shines a light on the nascent scientific understanding of microbiology and germ theory as it collided with the underpinnings of the early industrialization of our food system." -- Kirsten K. Shockey, coauthor of "Fermented Vegetables" and "Miso, Tempeh, Natto and Other Tasty Ferments"