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Today we’re going to talk about fermentations. It was the topic of our first episode — thirty-five episodes and a few years ago. We let it rest and we’re going to gently reopen the jar.
Let’s simply remember, before we start to sparkle, that one third of the foods we eat are fermented, and that this natural transformation process driven by bacteria and fungi is an ancestral low-tech practice that preserves food and makes it both more digestible and more flavorful.
The guest: Thien Uyen DO, farmer, fermenter, and author
The title of our guest’s book spoke to me immediately. Fermentation Rébellion. Published by Éditions des Équateurs. And what about the dedication — to all the brewers in the world, since my last name would mean “brewer” in Belgian. Forgive me for bringing that up here.
Thien Uyen DO is at once a farmer, forager, winemaker, and fermenter. She is based in Dordogne on the Combrillac wine estate, where she runs fermentation and tasting workshops.
My questions
- You quote Gloria Steinem and Nastassja Martin in the epigraph. You speak of food for the soul. Is writing also a form of inner fermentation?
- A little Prévert-style list of fermented foods around us?
- Your favorites? Which ones surprise people during tastings?
- What are the benefits of fermented foods? Is it about eating living foods?
- And what do they taste like?
- What is the link between fermentation and permaculture?
- How is fermentation political? Can it even be a rebellion?
- What is “ferminism”?
- You talk about time, life and death, failure and letting go. And metamorphosis (one of my favorite words). So many ingredients (if I may say so), perfect for a book. How long did it ferment before you wrote it? And how has this book changed you?
- A recipe to help our listeners rebel?
Further resources
Portrait © Ulrike Pien
