Reconnecting with life
Fermentation addresses contemporary concerns such as eco-responsibility, healthy eating, and sustainable food, as well as, more fundamentally, a search for "authentic" taste and a return to basics. It advocates a commitment to more virtuous food, a quest for meaning and intense flavor, and a search for authenticity.
The food undergoes a transformation through fermentation, in the most natural and authentic way possible, revealing its true essence. The resulting flavors are bold and intense, with surprising depth and complexity that transcend the original ingredients.
Fermentation is also a practice that reconnects us with the earth from which the products originate . These processes encourage us to adopt a rhythm and attentiveness that links us to the cycles of nature: to be patient, to submit to the time of maturation, to observe the evolutions and transformations of living things…
Fermentation: a new urban vegetable garden
For city dwellers, growing a small vegetable garden in jars and maintaining ferments and sourdough starters in their kitchen is an opportunity to manipulate and orchestrate this living matter , while preparing healthy and delicious food in reserve, ready to eat.
Because they appeal to our five senses, fermentations awaken and ignite curiosity, inspiration, and desire. The colors are intense, the textures fascinating, the aromas subtle, the tastes refined, complex, and fresh. They invite us to observe and feel life at work: Have you ever listened to the sound of jars of fermenting vegetables?
Have you watched the vibrant colors revealed by the acidification of lacto-fermentation?
Hypnotically watched the gas bubbles make the kefir grains dance in their jar?
Have you smelled the subtle sweet, floral and fruity aromas of a cereal inoculated with koji spores?
Have you ever observed the impressive rise of a sourdough starter in its jar?
Kneading dough or massaging vegetables, transmitting to them what Asians call the "taste of the hand"?
Have you ever experienced the olfactory and gustatory aroma of tempeh mycelium, with its notes of nuts and fresh mushrooms, which instantly transports you to the undergrowth?
Manipulating and playing with these natural transformations of plants, extracting their essence, opens up a new realm of possibilities in culinary creation. Fermentation has this magical and fascinating power to reveal aromas and fragrances that didn't exist in the raw product and that we couldn't even imagine!
Fermentation presents itself as an ecosystem that resonates deeply with that of nature , thus touching each and every one of us. This universal character is evident in its presence in numerous cultures throughout history. It undeniably allows us to establish a more virtuous relationship with living things , to reconnect with those invisible forces that humans have always used and with which they have learned to live. This is undoubtedly because the complexity of life forms a harmonious system that reflects the incredible diversity of life itself.
Microbiota and well-being
Because they actively nourish the gut flora , the beneficial bacteria in fermented foods contribute to the overall balance of the body. From the immediate sensation of pleasant acidity on the palate, followed by light and easy digestion, to a deeper sense of well-being felt in the longer term.
Moreover, the daily consumption of these live foods establishes a virtuous circle: the good bacteria demand their food and modify our appetites, which then shift towards fermented products.
With the glycemic load lowered, the feeling of satiety lasts longer and sugar cravings disappear.
Fermentation acts as a pre-digestion of macronutrients , transforming them into lactic acids, fatty acids and amino acids that are much more easily assimilated by the body and thus tend to restore the acid-base balance of the body.
They act on the regulation of digestion and promote a more relaxed stomach.
Fermented plant-based foods can also play a detoxifying role on the body, with visible effects such as clearer skin and a brighter complexion.
When better nourished, the need to overeat decreases, allowing for a natural rebalancing of the diet, without frustration, and in line with the body's true desires and needs. Easier, more manageable digestion means significantly more energy available for activities, starting immediately after meals.
A peaceful mind
A balanced gut promotes clear thinking and a better mood, much like the numerous synaptic connections that run from the colon to the brain. Indeed, a new field of research on the gut microbiota is studying the links between diet and mental health. We now know that certain bacteria can act as psychobiotics.
Microbial diversity is believed to be the key to maintaining balance and stability within the body's ecosystem. Supporting a healthy and diverse microbial community through fermentation is therefore undoubtedly one of the keys to achieving greater well-being on a daily basis.
LEXICON
* Lacto-fermentation
Lacto-fermentation , which follows precise rules, is a natural process that occurs spontaneously or is activated by ferments. Microorganisms—bacteria (such as lactobacilli, naturally present in foods), enzymes, and yeasts—transform macronutrients to produce, among other things, lactic acid. This chemical reaction is responsible for the sour taste. It also allows for the preservation of food over time, creating an environment hostile to the development of pathogenic bacteria and acting as an acidifier.
* Fruit kefir
This is a symbiotic community of grains composed mainly of lactic acid bacteria and a smaller proportion of yeasts (SCOBY = Symbiotic Culture of Yeasts and Bacteria). It is a versatile activator that can be used to ferment any liquid rich in glucose, traditionally from sweetened, lemon-flavored water with added dried fruit.
* Koji
Koji is a ferment derived from the "mold" of several ascomycetes (fungi) of the genus Aspergillus. It develops on a substrate traditionally made of grain to produce a powerful ferment used to make miso, amino sauces (like soy sauce), sake, or amazake (an enzymatic fermentation that develops the sugars in the fermented substrate).
* Sourdough
A sourdough starter is a microbial population, a living, dynamic structure in perpetual evolution. A natural sourdough starter is a microbial ecosystem, essentially lactic acid bacteria, selected by culturing and enabling the fermentation of the raw material to which it is added (such as yogurts, cheeses, drinks or pasta). A bread sourdough starter is a mixture obtained by a symbiotic culture of lactic acid bacteria (lactobacilli) and yeasts developing in a dough composed of cereal and water.
* Tempeh
Tempeh is a mycelium-based bread that develops around legumes and/or grains, thanks to the spores of Rhizopus oligosporus. This plant fermentation, of Indonesian origin, predigests and nutritionally enhances the substrates, creating more easily digestible plant proteins. It develops flavors of fresh mushrooms, nuts, and forest floor.
