I am super excited because Sandor Katz the Father of Fermentation is coming to Brighton. This quirky, queer man from New York ignited a revival in Fermented Foods almost 20 years ago now. He lives with AIDS and considers eating fermented foods as an important part of his health.
So whats it all about? Gut Health. Our ancestors knew that by fermenting our food, it not only preserved them, but also helps to break down hard to digest foods to make their nutrients more available to us. I love the idea that by fermenting our foods we are connecting with the wisdom of our ancestors.
Why is Gut health so important? It holds trillions of helpful bacteria and is responsible for 75% of our bodys total immunity. Our gut health also affects our mental and emotional wellbeing. Our belly produces 90% of our bodies serotonin, (the happy hormone), and 50% of our body’s dopamine (the joy hormone). So, it seems like a fairly good idea to get our guts healthy !
Between 60 to 70 million people are suffering with digestive complaints every day. Our diets have become bleached and deadened with pasteurisation, processed and packaged foods. As a result, in recent years it has become extremely trendy to incorporate lots of expensive pro-biotics into our diet as supplements, or to eat little yoghurts that come in individual plastic one dose, one use “throw-away” cartons. Why not simply tap into the wisdom of our ancestors and incorporate some fermented foods into our diets?
Sandor’s book Wild Fermentation: The Flavour, Nutrition and Craft of Live-Culture Foods is the business, and explains how to do it, and if you are lucky enough to be near Brighton you can book tickets for the event here.
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