Ferment

What does your favourite farmhouse cheese have in common with crusty sourdough bread, a glass of sparkling ginger beer or a bowl of marinated olives? The answer is each is a product of fermentation, a process that harnesses good bacteria in order to preserve ingredients and transform them into uniquely delicious foods with remarkable health benefits.

Thanks to an increasing awareness of the crucial role probiotic-rich foods play in our wellbeing, the ancient art of fermentation is experiencing a renaissance. Add to this the joy, ease and economy of making fermented foods at home, and it’s no wonder we are scrunching, pickling and bottling our way to better gut health and a deeper connection with our food.

With this extensive collection, wholefood pioneer Holly Davis shares familiar and lesser-known recipes, as well as the wisdom and experience accumulated over 40 years of teaching fermentation techniques around the world. Her gentle and thorough guidance guarantees you will find a place in your home for one or more ferments that make your heart and stomach sing.

Author Biography

Holly Davis has been making fermented foods and teaching about them for over 40 years. She started as a teenager, using her mother’s linen cupboard or any spare bench around the home to produce delicious pickles, cheeses and drinks. She’s a wholefood chef, teacher and original co-founder of Iku Wholefood chain of macrobiotic cafes. Holly has been practising and teaching the making of fermented foods for decades, and delights in the fact that she is still learning – it’s an alchemic art, not an exact science.