Spoonful Suppers

The appeal of fermentation is not dissimilar to that of a houseplant. There are vague rules under which you keep them alive, however at the end of the day they can be unpredictable and require care and attention. It is incredibly rewarding to see your ferment bubble, change color or texture over time, and to watch the mold or pellicle grow. It is a labor of love, and time. I intend to share the gratification of these transformations through this website, with a driving goal.

After about a year of fermenting my way around the grocery store, I am attempting to ferment my way through the Noma fermentation guide. From garums and shoyus to kombucha and vinegars, there are 174 ferments (and uses of said ferments) awaiting me. I am attempting to finish all of the ferments in the year 2021, á la Julie and Julia (a movie where Julie Powell cooks her way through the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child in a year). Despite the less than unique idea, ferments are each individually a unique product. Every ferment reacts to the environment it is in and I will say that my tiny Berkeley apartment that I share with 5 friends will present its own unique and often challenging environments.

The Goal: ferment all 174 recipes from the Noma Fermentation guide in 2021. I have a semi-well organized excel spread sheet of all of the ferments and their fermentation time and needs.

The Scene: a tiny Berkeley apartment shared with 5 friends who are less than excited about my smelly ferments taking over all counter space.

The Plan: Since there may be a few ferments that grow unwanted mold or ferment incorrectly, I am going to hit the ground running and try and have one type of most ferment going at a time, except for the misos, of which I will have two. There are 8 types of ferments, taking varied amounts of times. The longest ferments you can ferment for up to a year, and the shortest take only 48 hours. The longer ferments include the aged vinegars, and the misos. The shorter ferments mostly include koji inoculation. Koji inoculation is the practice of inoculating grains with koji spores (a mold) which grows on the grain, changing both its texture and taste. The product is an umami punch that can be eaten plain or added to other ferments, including misos, shoyus, and garums.

Fermentation provides a flavor profile which is noticeably distinctive from our usual diets (or at least my own). I anticipate having a lot of umami-packed juices and sauces to share and spread the good bacteria with my friends and family. If you want to try something you see bubbling here, don’t hesitate to ask for some.

Stay tuned for weekly updates on each of the ferments and yummy pictures of what I do with the final products.