408: The secrets behind mankind's fascination with fermentation

Throughout history, where there have been human beings, there has been fermentation. Human beings have a long-standing fascination with fermented foods, the question is: why? Fermented products are enjoying a huge boom at the moment, Kimchi, Kefir and Kombucha are all on the up. But that is just the tip of the iceberg. The truly interesting fact is something like a third of all food consumed by humans is fermented. Fermentation is used in the making of pickles, olives, bread, beer, wine, chocolate, coffee, vinegar, soy sauce – the list goes on. And we have been doing it for thousands of years. So, in this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, we look at why humans ferment their food, find out about different fermentation methods, and ask what today’s food innovators are taking from this vast, rich tradition. Guests: Simon Poffley, Founder, The Fermentarium Eve Kalinik, Registered Nutritional Therapist, Author and Podcaster