Our Fermented Lives: A History of How Fermented Foods Have Shaped Cultures & Communities

by Julia Skinner

From craft beers and sourdough bread to kimchi, coffee, tea, and cheese, fermentation is a popular topic in both food and health circles. In Our Fermented Lives, food historian and fermenting expert Julia Skinner explores the fascinating roots of a wide range of fermented foods in cultures around the world, with a focus on the many intersections fermented foods have with human history and culture, from the evolution of the microbiome to food preservation techniques, distinctive flavor profiles around the globe, and the building of community. Fans of fermentation, chefs, and anyone fascinated with the origins of various foods will enjoy this engaging popular history, which is accompanied by 42 recipes adapted from historic sources, including sauerkraut, corn beer, uji (fermented grain porridge), pickles and relishes, vinegars, ketchup, soy sauce, Tepache (fermented pineapple drink), vinegars, beet kvass, and more.

• ISBN10: 163586383X
• ISBN13: 9781635863833
• Publish Date: 27 September 2022
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Storey Publishing LLC
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Our Fermented Lives is a well written and encyclopedic look at fermentation historically and its impact on society and culture by Dr. Julia Skinner. Released 27th Sept. 2022 by Storey, it's 384 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats.

The writing is accessible and understandable. The language used is precise, but not overly rigorous or academic and it's not annotated in the text. The author writes authoritatively on indigenous and ancient fermenting methods and the foods which our ancestors prepared and preserved using the techniques described. The author has included a comprehensive bibliography with links which will provide engaged readers with many hours of extra reading.

There are a generous number of really intriguing recipes included in the text and the descriptions are so fascinating that I will certainly spend a lot of time trying them out. This would be a -goldmine- for recreators, historical food/cooking fans, SCAdians, and living history folks.

Five stars. Beautifully written and interesting. This would be a superlative choice for public or school library acquisition as well as particularly relevant for self-sufficiency folks, homesteaders, foragers, natural/raw cooks, etc.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.