FRP Week 2 Flashcards
What is Fermentation?
Fermentation requires relationship. It lets us visibly see the impact of invisible microbes. It is the transformative action of micro-organisms.
Humans have been intentionally fermenting foods for 9,000 - 10,000 years.
5,000 different fermented foods and beverages globally.
Self-proclaimed “fermentation revivalist,” Sandor Katz defines fermentation as “the transformative action of microorganisms” whereby a food is transformed by its interactions with the environment into something more flavorful, more nutrient-dense, and longer-lasting.
Because the process of fermentation creates favorable conditions for beneficial microbes while discouraging the growth of harmful bacteria, fermentation is even a clever mechanism for making food safer.
Types of Fermentation
Keith Steinkraus offers us a tidy way of categorizing fermented foods and beverages into 7 groups. These categories include:
* Textured vegetable protein mixtures, such as tempeh and oncom
* High salt, amino acid/peptide sauce and paste fermentations, such as miso and shoyu
* Lactic acid fermentations, such as sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, idli, and balao balao
* Alcoholic fermentations, such as wine, beer, mead, and sake
* Acetic acid fermentations, such as vinegar and kombucha
* Alkaline fermentations, such as natto and sumbala
* And leavened breads, including sourdough and naan
Primary type of food organization:
* Grains
* Dairy
* Fruits and vegetables
* Meat
* Fats
* And other plant products like coffee, tea, and chocolate
Fermented Foods have a history of:
-improving food safety
-increasing nutrient intake
-limiting food waste
-supporting long term preservation
-adding flavor
-creating tradition
we can experience:
-intentionality
-purposeful connection
-joy & community
-our own tradition
Fermentation in Chongqing
Paocai: pickled vegetables which are the root of culinary life here.
the flavor’s of someone’s pickling could improve their social reputation
szechuan peppercorns are used heavily
pickling created seasonal rhythms
Paocai can be passed down to next generation
Fermentation in Ethiopia
Injera is a sourdough flatbread
shared between everyone at the table
eating with your ahnds is a symbol of community & respect
commonly eaten for 2 out 3 meals
food is sacred & injera encourages enjoyment & connection
Fermentation in the Amazon
Masato: fermented yucca (cassava) drink
primary source of drinking water
yucca is boiled, then mashed or chewed before fermenting
helps reduce harmful bacteria
important source of nutrition in the face of food scarcity
demonstrates harmony between people and their environment
Fermentation in the Caucasus Mountains
Milk kefir: fermented milk made with a unique mixture of bacteria, yeast, proteins, lipids, and sugars
grains of the prophet
originally made in animal skin bags suspended in the sun
milk would be added to the bag in a continuous process
Kefir’s journey to Russia
Kefir grains cannot be manufactured or made from scratch
kefir contains as many as 50 different bacterial and yeast species
Elie Metchnikoff’s prolongation of life spurred interest in lactic acid for digestion and longevity
All Russian Physician’s Society commissions moscow dairy to obtain kefir grains
prince Barchorov was not willing to give any kefir grains away
Irena was kidnapped on her journey home, a crime for which Tsar Nicholas II required princ barchorov to give her 10 pounds of kefir grains
the moscow dairy used those grains to bring the first milk kefir to russia, and eventually it spread to other regions of the world
Fermentation & the Environment
fermented foods are “microbial ecosystems that live in human households”
The ecosystems have microbes from:
-the air
-the food
-the brine/solution
-the vessels and tools
even the hands of the person making the ferment lends microbes to the process
Fermentation in Korea
Son-mat translates to “hand taste”
the concept is a symbol of the love and talent someone puts into a dish, giving it unique flavor
the contact between our hands and our food is an intimate part of the transformation
Kimjang: community gathering to transform the cabbage harvest into kimchi
Kimchi provides nourishment, but the emotional byproducts are just as powerful
global fermentation
cultural traditions of fermentation are global:
-miso in japan
-rakfisk in norway
-doogh in the middle east
-idli in india
-baguette in france
-garri in nigeria
fermentation invites connection between you, your food, and the people you serve
Personal Fermentation Questions:
reflect on the tools and methodologies you are using and how they might contribute to your final product. Think about the ingredients you are choosing and the ways in which your hands are involved in the preparation—how do those personal choices and physical touches personalize your ferment? Who will you share it with and what kind of meal experience will you create when you do?
Food waste
arrot top greens, potato peels, broccoli stalks, fennel fronds, squash seeds, watermelon rinds, the ribs of dark leafy greens, and the stems of herbs like cilantro and parsley are common examples of edible portions of produce that most home cooks in the U.S. throw out as they prep food. But produce isn’t the only type of food impacted by this mindset.
In animal butchery, the offal, hide, hair, teeth, bones, blood, cartilage, and fat account for about 30% of the liveweight in hogs and as much as 44% of the liveweight in cattle. Although not all of these byproducts are edible—many of them are and cultures around the world have turned to them as sources of nourishment for centuries. Yet, in the U.S. we typically make use of the muscle meat and little else.
Filipino cuisine
Traditional Filipino cuisine offers an astounding array of options for making use of as much of an animal as possible. From sun-dried and fried pork skin (chicharrónes) to a stew that makes use of both the offal and blood (Dinuguan), the Filipino people have mastered the art of incorporating every useable element.
There are soups that make use of bile like pinapaitan (papa-ee-tan), finely chopped mixtures of different organs like brain and lung take center stage in traditional dishes like sisig, oxtail and tripe transform into a gelatinous peanut stew called kare-kare, livers get glazed in adobo sauce, and even pig ears and cheeks get broiled and served in a spicy dressing. During celebrations, the concept of nose-to-tail eating is presented in full force with lechon (leh-chon), which is a spit-roasted pig served whole.
Scottish Cuisine
Traditionally, haggis consists of sheep offal, onions, oatmeal, suet, and spices, stuffed into a sheep’s stomach, boiled, and served with mashed turnips, potatoes, and whiskey sauce.
As one definition describes, “haggis is an example of human ingenuity in using every part of an animal for food, in a way that preserves the meat without spoiling for later consumption and in a manner that allows transportation.”
Written in 1786, Burns’s poem, Address to a Haggis, refueled national pride in the dish as it celebrates the ordinary Scotsman’s strength compared to those that were copying the ways of life on the mainland. “But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed, the trembling earth resounds his tread” Burns declares, in contrast to those he characterizes as “feeble as a withered rush” from dining on food like ragout and fricassee. Within these verses, haggis became both a celebration of Scottish tradition and a symbol of resistance against what one source called the “onslaught of sophisticated elitist Anglicization.”
Japanese concepts
Ichibutsu Zentaishoku - the concept of letting no part of a meal’s ingredients go to waste
Washoku - collective term for japanese food as well as a social practice governing it’s preparation
Mottainai - expresses the regret of throwing something valuable away
Japanese cuisine
small fish that can be eaten whole minimize waste
fish heads, bones, and fins are used in soup
fish skin is dried and made into flakes to accompany rice
offal meat is grilled or used in soup
sweet potato and pumpkin stems are served in the kochi prefecture
a bony fish called Eso is made into a paste
okonomiyaki: a fried pancake useful for leftovers
Native American cuisine
Great Plains tribes relied on bison and made use of all parts, including:
-hide
-hair
-bones
-blood
-offal
-meat
Northwest tribes utilized fish, wildlife, and plants, including:
-camas bulbs
-salal berries
-nettle
-skunk cabbage
-salmon
-deer
-elk
eastern and southeastern tribes were able to make effective use of agriculture
the three sisters:
-beans (nitrogen for the soil)
-corn (structure for the beans to grow)
-squash (groundcover to prevent weeds)
practices were driven by a desire to coexist with nature rather than subjugate it
Plant protective compounds
plants have compounds that act as a defense system
they can be difficult for humans to digest and impact absorption of other nutrients
examples: phytic acid - called phytates when bound to other minerals
-lectins
certain food preparation techniques help neutralize plant defense compounds and make nutrients more bio-available
innate wisom guided global cultures to the same techniques:
-soaking
-souring
-sprouting
Soaking - canada
indigenous tribes in canada and california utilized acorns as an important food source
acorns had to undergo the following process to become a nourishing food:
-crack to obtain the kernel
-boil in an alkaline solution
-soak in water or buried in mud
-roast or pound to make a mash
acorns were the “bread of life” for these groups and this processing technique created a relationship of trust
soaking - new south wales
aboriginal people in new south wales cherished the seeds from the black bean tree
to make these toxic seeds edible, they would use the following process:
-roast to peel
-soak in the river for 3-4 days
-pound into a mash to make a bread called bush damper
aboriginal people migrated with black bean tree seeds because they had a relationship and sense of safety with the plant
soaking - mexico
Nixtamalization:
-cook corn in an alkaline solution
-steep the corn overnight in the liquid
-wash
-grind into masa
one of the most critical outcomes of this process is the release of bound niacin
spanish explorers took corn back to europe, but did not adopt the practice of nixtamalization
a disease attributed to niacin deficiency called pellagra caused two centuries of suffering
Soaking legumes & beans
soaking helps a seed prepare for germination
participation in soaking practices doesn’t have to be scientifically perfect to have benefits
people in many cultures soak everyday foods like
-cannellini beans and farro
-yam beans and millet
-chickpeas and rice
Souring
a form of fermentation, commonly used for preparing grains
an enhanced form of soaking with the introduction of lactic acid bacteria and wild yeasts
promotes greater activation oh phytase
may degrade gluten
sourdough bread is an example of the souring process
egypt is one of the places with the earliest evidence of sourdough bread, and switzerland
seamus blackley is baking with a starter that potentially contains 4,000 year old egyptian microbes
One summary review of studies on the souring process found it to reduce phytic acid by as much as 70%, improve protein digestibility, and also noted its ability to extend the shelf-life with “an antifungal activity similar or better than that of chemical preservatives.” A few studies have even found the souring process capable of degrading gluten in wheat flour to less than 10 ppm, a level that did not trigger an immune response.
Souring - sourdough
a starter is used to create sourdough
in san francisco, some bakers are using a starter that has been shared for 150 years.
during the gold rush, san francisco gained recognition for its unique tasting sourdough
a starter can be made with flour and water that are left to ferment and regularly fed with more flour and water until bubbly
sourdough creates connection between the baker and the microbial world and with ancestral traditions
the baker adds their microbe magic to sourdough, but evidence shows the sourdough also shares its microbiome with the baker
souring brings intentionality to the food relationship
sprouting
sprouting in the kitchen is human-initiated germination
sprouting reactivates the plant’s metabolism, encouraging it to start breaking down compounds for energy and growth
increases phytase activity
improves levels of certain vitamins
improves bio-availability of minerals
after soaking, rinse & drain the nut, seed, legume, or grain several times a day for 1-4 days until the root emerges
Sprouting - TCM / China
in china, emperor shennong promotes sprouts as medicine
today they are featured in everyday meals throughout the region
in TCM, sprouts are supportive for helping the liver move Qi, which is life force energy
sprouts are a symbol of Qi as they are the life force energy of a seed
Sprouting - Ayurveda / India
in the indian system of medicine called ayurveda, sprouts are prana-rich (prana represents life force)
sattvic diet promotes sprouted grains and seeds for physical strength and a peaceful mind
sprouting is an everyday process for many people in india as legumes and grains are a staple in their cuisine
sprouting - russia
in ancient russia, oats were sprouts and commonly consumed as they were compliant for their religious fasting rules
oats were soaked in the river, then placed into a sieve next to a large clay oven to sprout
they would then be dried, ground, and sifted until a fine powder was created
this powder could then be quickly cooked with water, milk, or broth to make a porridge called tolokno
traditional food technique questions
This week, we encourage you to try one of these traditional preparation techniques. Either try one that is a new experience for you, or, try a familiar technique with a new food. Reflect on what the process feels like. Was it difficult to remember to soak something in advance? Were you curious about what kind of microbes your hands were contributing to the sourdough as you kneaded it? Did you feel a sense of excitement after encouraging the life force of a seed to break through?
Then, observe how your body receives the food. Do you notice any differences in how your stomach feels or responds? Are your energy levels impacted? Was the sensory experience and flavor more satisfying?
Biochemistry of Belief
As the authors of The Biochemistry of Belief explain, “the biochemistry of our body stems from our awareness. Belief-reinforced awareness becomes our biochemistry. Each and every tiny cell in our body is perfectly and absolutely aware of our thoughts, feelings and…our beliefs.”
gratitude confirms our positive beliefs about our food
gratitude strengthens our relationship with food
Mindset and Physiology
a study with 46 participants had half get a milkshake labeled “indulgent” and the others got one labeled “sensible” even though they were the same.
the levels of the hormone ghrelin were measured
“ghrelin is an essential indicator of energy insufficiency. When energy intake is low or the stomach is empty, ghrelin is secreted from the endocrine cells of the stomach and transported in the bloodstream to the brain, where it binds with receptors…to produce the sensation of hunger and motivate consumption. As energy intake increases and nutrients are detected in the gastrointestinal tract, ghrelin levels are suppressed, thereby signaling to the brain…to reduce appetite and increase feelings of satiety.”
higher levels of ghrelin in the bloodstream indicate that the body has not received enough nourishment, and lower levels of ghrelin reflect that the body has achieved a state of satiety.
the belief shaped how much ghrelin someone made, changing the physiological response
Gratitude - Cherokee
As author and member of the Cherokee Nation, Tracey Sorell explains “gratitude is a universal value. It may manifest in different ways and be expressed differently, but gratitude is central to maintaining hope, kindness, and connectivity to each other.”
ceremonies played a large part in how indigenous tribes expressed gratitude:
-green corn ceremony
-hunting rituals
-ceremonies to appease and honor animal spirits
Gratitude - Jewish
n the Jewish culture, there is a community-based gratitude practice observed at any meal where bread is consumed. The tradition stems from a religious scripture that directed the Jewish people to “eat and be satisfied, and bless your God for the good land which God has given you.”
he ritual is called Birkat Hamazon and is only recited after what the Jewish people consider to be what one source calls “a genuine meal…in Jewish thought, a true meal is not defined by the amount of food you eat, or the time of day when you eat it. It’s defined by whether or not you’re eating bread.”
Gratitude - Japan
itadakimasu is a way for individuals to express gratitude for their food
translated as I humbly receive. saying itadakimasu before a meal is a way of showing respect and thanks for everything that went into the meal
an etiquette guide in 1812 popularized the concept of itadakimasu as a mealtime gratitude phrase “when you grab chopsticks, you should tank all nature and living things, the emperor, and your parents”
Food System
a sustainable food system integrates elements to enhance environmental, social, and nutritional health for all.
Production- how to raise food, the land, climate, agricultural inputs, labor
Processing- equipment, mechanization, harvesting
Distribution- marketing, getting it to people
Consumption- is it retail, individual, restaurant, schools
Waste- composting, recycling packaging
waste is an end point, not a cycle, it’s not self sustaining
Food Security
food security is having access to enough food for an active, healthy life
Nutrition Security
nutrition security is consistent access, availability, and affordability of foods and beverages that promote well being, prevent disease, and if needed, treat disease
Four Pillars of Food Security
- Availability - there is a reliable and consistent source of quality food
- Accessibility - people have sufficient resources to produce and/or purchase food
- Utilization - people have the knowledge and basic sanitary conditions to choose, prepare, and distribute food in a way that results in good nutrition
- Stability - people’s ability to access and utilize food that remains stable and sustained over time
Food Deserts
Criteria to determine if a place is a food desert is based on income as well as food accessibility.
has a poverty rate greater than or equal to 80%
or median family income is at or below 80%
Urban: 500 people or 33% of people live more than 1 mile from grocery store
Rural: 500 people or 33% of people live more than 10 miles from a grocery store
Food Swamps
Food swamps are areas with a high density of establishments selling high calorie fast food and junk food, relative to healthier food
Food Sovereignty (not an exam)
Food sovereignty: “the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems” -US food sovereignty alliance
Six Pillars of Food Sovereignty
- Food for people
- Values food providers
- Localizes food systems
- Puts control locally
- Builds knowledge and skills
- Works with nature
Traditional Practices
Fermenting
Soaking
Sprouting
Nose to tail
Root to stem
Gratitude
Food Intentions
growing food
shop locally
foraging
eat seasonally
