michael pollan's foreword to the art of fermentation, by sandor ellix katz

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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 SANDOR ELLIX KATZ Foreword by Michael Pollan The ART of FERMENTATION

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"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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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

xi

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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Page 3: Michael Pollan's Foreword to The Art of Fermentation, by Sandor Ellix Katz

xii FOreWOrD

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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FOreWOrD xiii

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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