I. The Beginning In 2018, in a scattered village in Hong Kong’s New Territories that was slated for demolition at any moment, I baked my very first sourdough loaf using a jar of fermented dough I had just received from a friend. Looking back, it barely fermented at all. It…
Torrential rain, flooding, typhoons, droughts… Under the threat of climate change, farmers are invariably the first to bear the brunt of the damage. Yet what is often overlooked is that, in seeking to avert these losses, they are also the most proactive in taking adaptive measures. Last year, the International…
Those who have studied permaculture will likely be familiar with the name Sepp Holzer. As a pioneer in the field, Holzer is almost a household name in Austria, and his book *Holzer’s Permaculture* has long served as a foundational guide for enthusiasts worldwide. This June, I travelled to Krameterhof, the…
Foodthink Voices Foodthink has organised several reading groups focused on fermentation. While selecting books for these sessions, we realised: fermentation culture is thriving in international foodie circles, so why hasn’t it taken off here? This sentiment echoes the views of the fermentation publishing professionals featured in this article: China is…
Foodthink’s Take Fermented sour chillies are a traditional Chinese delicacy, particularly cherished in the southern provinces. While regional variations each boast their own distinct character and the accompanying ingredients may differ slightly, the method and underlying fermentation principle remain broadly the same: salt is used to create a favourable environment…
It’s been over two years since I moved to Evil Man Valley, and the annual costs for field labour and organic compost add up to no small sum. The local helpers I bring in often can’t resist working out the figures for me, pointing out that growing things this way…
It’s been a fortnight since the “Fermentation Awakening Festival” kicked off! Episodes on kombucha and on mozzarella and whey cheese have recently been released as part of the The Alchemy of Food video series, and the Wild Fermentation book club has just concluded its second reading session. In truth, this…
This episode of Food Talk features two guests, Mary and Liu Xinzheng, both formally trained in Fermentation Engineering. We sit down with them to discuss how their passion for home-brewing craft beer sparked a broader journey into the world of fermentation. While studying Fermentation Engineering at university, their love for…
Foodthink Says Cheese is a highly traditional fermented food. Before the Industrial Revolution enabled mass production, the vast majority of cheese was handmade on farms and by small-scale producers. Its flavours were closely tied to the season, climate, and methods used to produce the raw milk, and the distinctive techniques…
I grew up in New York City and have loved pickles of all kinds since childhood. I never imagined that those delicious, crisp, garlic-infused pickles would one day set me on a path of discovery and exploration. In truth, alongside pickles, fermented foods such as bread, cheese, yoghurt, sour cream,…
