The Noma Guide to Fermentation: Including koji, kombuchas, shoyus, misos, vinegars, garums, lacto-ferments, and black fruits and vegetables (Foundations of Flavor)

Image of The Noma Guide to Fermentation: Including koji, kombuchas, shoyus, misos, vinegars, garums, lacto-ferments, and black fruits and vegetables (Foundations of Flavor)
Author(s): 
Release Date: 
October 15, 2018
Publisher/Imprint: 
Artisan
Pages: 
456
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“By the time you get to the end of this book, you will find yourself completely motivated to head down a path of new and exciting flavors, techniques and healthful cooking.”

For many foodies, dining at the world-famous Noma restaurant in Copenhagen will surely be found scribbled on a culinary bucket list. Named four times the world’s best restaurant, it is no wonder. Now, owner/chef Rene Redzepi and fermentation mastermind David Zilber, bring Noma home to us, in a new and impressive package.

Initially, Redzepi’s and Zilber’s 449-page Guide to Fermentation may seem rather intimidating. You may wonder if you will need to crane in an empty shipping container to serve as your own fermentation lab, undergo a massive home renovation to house the temperature controlled rooms, or at the very least, get a science degree. Rest assured, Rene and David break it down into manageable steps, and ones that can be achieved at home. Honest.

The practice of fermentation takes dedication and commitment to be sure. It requires your attention. This guide, however, is incredibly thorough, offering exact measurements, temperatures, and processes to keep you safe and in good stock of some incredible flavors and dishes. Each section provides in-depth instruction and photos that make up the base recipe and all subsequent recipes follow the same process, so you can learn once and experiment over and over again with different ingredients.

Don’t let the photos of moldy food deter you, however. They help to guide you through the process, giving you a clear idea about what you can expect from any ferment.

Buying suggestions for equipment are included, as well as the blueprints for building your own fermentation chamber using a speed rack (a metal multi-level rack used in commercial kitchens) or a Styrofoam cooler.

Options for what works best in your space are discussed, so whether you prefer a large glass jar versus a vacuum-sealed plastic bag for fermenting, you can be sure to have success.

There are exhaustive discussions about the risks of growing bacteria, how to avoid the bad ones and how to nurture and grow the good ones. A multitude of charts and diagrams have been included so you can go into this new adventure with complete confidence.

A massive amount of thought has been put into the writing and the layout of this book and it is clear that a lot of heart has gone into it, too. To be privy to such an extensive and in-depth knowledge of fermentation from these two is an incredible benefit.

The variety of flavors outlined in the book and ways to utilize them in your every day kitchen are awe-inspiring. The book is laid out from easiest to most difficult, starting with sauerkrauts, kombuchas and kimchis and ending with the more complex Garum, traditionally a sauce made with decomposing fish, though Noma uses ground beef, a combination of rose and shrimp, squid, chicken wings or grasshoppers for their own version, proof that the art of fermentation is virtually without boundaries and Redzepi and Zilber take it way out to a new and modern level.

After you have perfected the initial fermentation on a particular food item, you will find a great assortment of ways to use your new creation. You learn how to ferment plums for example. Then, you find suggested uses for the final product, such as dried lacto plums, plum skin chips and lacto plum powder. You can go on to use those ingredients for recipes such as lacto plum juice mignonette and plum custard. The possibilities are endless and you may find yourself gasping with delight as you turn the page and see such titles as Butternut Squash Vinegar or Roasted Koji Mole or Hazelnut Miso.

By the time you get to the end of this book, you will find yourself completely motivated to head down a path of new and exciting flavors, techniques and healthful cooking. This book goes well beyond the typical and is well worth the effort. While we all may recognize Sandor Katz as the foremost expert in bringing the ancient art of fermentation into the modern world, it seems we may have a new lacto-acid bible. And it’s one to savor, indeed.