Transcript
Page 1: Michael Pollan's Foreword to The Art of Fermentation, by Sandor Ellix Katz

AN IN-DEPTH EXPLORATION OF ESSENTIAL CONCEPTS

AND PROCESSES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

With Practical Information on Fermenting Vegetables, Fruits, Grains, Milk, Beans, Meats, and More

SA N D O R E L L I X KAT Z Foreword by Michael Pollan

The A R T of

F E R M E N TAT I O N

Page 2: Michael Pollan's Foreword to The Art of Fermentation, by Sandor Ellix Katz

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Foreword

T he Art of Fermentation�is�an�inspiring�book,�and�I�mean�that�literally.�The�book�has�inspired�me�to�do�things�I’ve�never�done�before,�and�prob-

ably�never�would�have�done�if�I�hadn’t�read�it.�In�fact,�Katz’s�book�is�the�main�reason�that�my�kitchen�counters�and�basement�floor�have�lately�sprouted�an�assortment�of�mason�jars,�ceramic�crocks,�jelly�jars,�bottles,�and�carboys,�the�clear�ones�glowing�with�unearthly�colors.�Since�falling�under�the�spell�of�Katz’s�fermentation�evangelism,�I�have�launched�big�crocks�of�sauerkraut�and�kim-chi;�mason�jars�of�pickled�cucumbers,�carrots,�beets,�cauliflower,�onions,�pep-pers,�and�ramps;�jelly�jars�of�yogurt�and�kefir;�and�five-gallon�carboys�of�beer�and�mead.�All�of�them,�I�am�regularly�reminded,�are�alive.�When�it’s�late�at�night�and�quiet�in�the�house,�I�can�hear�my�ferments�gurgling�contentedly.�It’s�become�a�deeply�pleasing�sound,�because�it�means�my�microbes�are�happy.�

I�read�cookbooks�all�the�time�and�never�make�a�thing�from�them,�so�why�was�The Art of Fermentation�different?�For�one�thing,�Sandor�Katz�writes�about�the�transformative�power�of�fermentation�with�such�infectious�enthu-siasm�that�he�makes�you�want�to�try�things�just to see what happens.��It’s�the�same�way�I�felt�the�day�my�elementary�school�teacher�told�us�something�miraculous�would�happen�if�we�mixed�up�some�vinegar�with�baking�soda.�These�microbial�transformations�are�miraculous�and�so,�very�often,�are�the�results:�striking�new�flavors�and�interesting�new�textures,�wrought�from�the�most�ordinary�ingredients,�and�not�by�us�but�by�bacteria�and�fungi.�

Another�reason�Katz�inspires�us�to�try�recipes�to�make�things�you�never�even�knew�existed�(kvass?�shrub?!)�is�that�he�never�intimidates.�To�the�contrary.�As�a�cookbook—and,�as�I�will�get�to,�it�is�so�much�more�than�a�cookbook—The Art of Fermentation�is�empowering.�Though�the�book�traffics�in�many�kinds�of�microbial�mystery,�Katz�is�by�temperament�a�demystifier:�it’s�not�that�com-plicated,�he�assures�us,�anyone�can�make�sauerkraut;�here’s�all�you�need�to�do.�And�if�something�goes�wrong?�If�your�kraut�grows�an�alarming-looking�beard�of�mold?�No�need�to�panic;�just�shave�off�the�mold�and�enjoy�the�kraut�beneath�it.�

But�this�attitude�has�something�more�behind�it�than�Sandor�Katz’s�easy-going�temperament�in�the�kitchen;�there�is�a�politics�at�work�here�as�well.�The Art of Fermentation�is�much�more�than�a�cookbook.�Or�rather,�it�is�a�cookbook�in�the�same�way�that�Zen and the Art of Archery�is�a�how-to�about�bows�and�arrows.�Sure,�it�tells�you�how�to�do�it,�but�much�more�important,�it�tells�you�what�it�means,�and�why�an�act�as�quotidian�and�practical�as�making�your�own�

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sauerkraut�represents�nothing�less�than�a�way�of�engaging�with�the�world.�Or�rather,�with�several�different�worlds,�each�nested�inside�the�other:�the�invisible�world�of�fungi�and�bacteria;�the�community�in�which�you�live;�and�the�indus-trial�food�system�that�is�undermining�the�health�of�our�bodies�and�the�land.�

This�might�seem�like�a�large�claim�for�a�crock�of�sauerkraut,�but�Sandor�Katz’s�signal�achievement�in�this�book�is�to�convince�you�of�its�truth.�To�fer-ment�your�own�food�is�to�lodge�an�eloquent�protest—of�the�senses—against�the�homogenization�of�flavors�and�food�experiences�now�rolling�like�a�great,�undifferentiated�lawn�across�the�globe.�It�is�also�a�declaration�of�independence�from�an�economy�that�would�much�prefer�we�were�all�passive�consumers�of�its�commodities,�rather�than�creators�of�unique�products�expressive�of�ourselves�and�the�places�where�we�live.�Because�your�sauerkraut�or�homebrew�will�be�nothing�like�mine�or�anyone�else’s.�

The�Koreans,�who�know�a�thing�or�two�about�fermentation,�distinguish�between�the�“tongue�taste”�of�various�foods�and�the�“hand�taste.”�Tongue�taste�is�a�simple�matter�of�molecules�making�contact�with�taste�buds—the�kind�of�cheap�and�easy�flavors�any�food�scientist�or�food�corporation�can�produce.�“Hand�taste”�is�the�far�more�complex�experience�of�a�food�that�bears�the�indel-ible�mark—the�care�and�sometimes�even�the�love—of�the�person�who�made�it.�The�sauerkraut�you�make�yourself�will�have�hand�taste.

And�you�will�have�plenty�of�it�to�give�away,�trust�me.�One�of�the�best�things�about�making�your�own�ferments�is�sharing�them�with�others,�off�the�grid�of�the�cash�economy.�I�now�swap�bottles�of�beer�and�mead�with�other�homebrew-ers�and�take�part�in�a�steady�trade�in�mason�jars,�which�leave�my�house�brim-ming�with�sauerkraut�only�to�return�brimming�with�other�people’s�kimchi�or�pickles.�To�delve�into�the�world�of�fermented�foods�is�to�enter�the�community�of�fermentos,�who�happen�to�be�a�most�interesting,�eccentric,�and�generous�bunch.�

But�of�course�there�is�another�community�to�which�The Art of Fermenta-tion�serves�as�a�kind�of�passport�or�visa:�the�unseen�community�of�fungi�and�bacteria�all�around�us�and�within�us.�If�this�book�has�an�underlying�agenda�(and�it�assuredly�does)�it�is�to�help�us�reconceive�our�relationship�with�what�biologist�Lynn�Margulis�calls�the�“microcosmos.”�Since�Louis�Pasteur�dis-covered�the�role�of�microbes�in�disease�more�than�a�century�ago,�most�of�us�have�found�ourselves�on�a�war�footing�with�respect�to�bacteria.�We�dose�our�children�with�antibiotics,�keep�them�as�far�away�from�microbes�as�pos-sible,�and�generally�strive�to�sanitize�their�world.�We�are�living�in�the�Age�of�Purell.�And�yet�biologists�have�come�to�appreciate�that�the�war�on�bacteria�is�not�only�futile—the�bacteria,�which�can�out-evolve�us,�will�always�win—but�counterproductive.�

The�profligate�use�of�antibiotics�has�produced�resistant�bacteria�as�lethal�as�any�we�managed�to�kill.�Those�drugs,�along�with�a�processed�food�diet�lacking�in�both�bacteria�and�food�for�bacteria�(aka�fiber),�have�disordered�the�microbial�ecology�in�our�gut�in�profound�ways�that�we�are�just�beginning�to�understand,�and�which�may�well�explain�many�of�our�health�problems.�

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Children�protected�from�bacteria�turn�out�to�have�higher�rates�of�allergy�and�asthma.�We�are�discovering�that�one�of�the�keys�to�our�well-being�is�the�well-being�of�the�microflora�with�whom�we�share�these�bodies,�and�with�whom�we�co-evolved.�And�it�looks�like�they�really,�really�like�sauerkraut.

In�the�war�on�bacteria,�Sandor�Katz�is�a�confirmed�pacifist.�But�he�isn’t�just�sitting�out�the�war,�or�speechifying�about�it.�He’s�doing�something�to�end�it.�A�Post-Pasteurian,�Katz�would�have�us�renegotiate�the�terms�of�our�rela-tionship�with�the�microcosmos,�and�The Art of Fermentation�is�an�eloquent�and�practical�manifesto�showing�us�exactly�how�to�do�that,�one�crock�of�sauer-kraut�at�a�time.�I�fully�expect�that,�like�a�particularly�vibrant�microbial�culture,�this�book�will�spawn�thousands�of�new�fermentos,�and�not�a�moment�too�soon.�Welcome�to�the�party.�

—�Michael Pollan December�22,�2011

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