‘PICKLE’ YOUR TASTE BUDS…

You probably have fond childhood memories of relishing your granny’s homemade achaar and chutneys. Remember the lengths you’d go to, to steal a palmful of murabba? Food, as they say, is the best nostalgia. A winning dish is one through which people relive their memories. Today, fermented products go high up on a chef’s list.

Fermented ingredients has played a major role in its entry into restaurant menus, describes these foods as the flavorful space between fresh and rotten.

Fermentation Festivals around the world

Every year, to celebrate the benefits of fermented foods, world-class fermenting artisans and enthusiasts come together to set up festivals. Boston Ferments in New England, Santa Barbara Fermentation festival in California, Fermentation Fest in Wisconsin, Ganggyeong Fermented Seafood festival in Korea, are among the dozen festivals that were held across the globe. From holding workshops on how to master fermentation to having a market that sells homemade samples of cultured food and drinks, these festivals give you a low-down on everything fermented.

The Indian picture

Fine dining establishments across India have opened their kitchens to traditional fermented recipes like kanji (a drink prepared from the juice of black carrots), curries made from kachampuli ( a fruit vinegar from Kerala), jau ki ghaat (a ragi drink from Rajasthan), iromba (a spicy Manipuri chutney made from fresh vegetables and fish). The distinct flavor that fermentation imparts to a dish is one of the major reasons why chefs are using this technique.

A good kick in your gut

Eating healthy fermented foods increases the good bacteria and helps digestion. It also improves the immunity and purifies blood, as the bacteria flushes out all the toxins. If you lead a stressful life and have a diet high in sugary and processed food, the beneficial microbiome in your gut becomes unbalanced- which cause unclear thinking and excessive worrying. This can be corrected by consuming foods like buttermilk, unpasteurized sauerkraut, kimchi etc.

Eat cultured foods, And above all, you can go back to your childhood memories by just ‘pickling’ your tongue. 🙂

Thanks for stopping by!!