Foodstuffs Stirring things up in a good way

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Of all the culinary triumphs that we have achieved as a species, hiring teams of micro-organisms to “deal” with our food before we eat it is probably my favourite. Cooking food is up there on the list, and freezing food isn’t too bad either—I’m glad to have the powers of temperature in my human hands. But sending out some microbial mercenaries to colonize breakfast, lunch and dinner? That’s infinitely cooler than throwing a hunk of meat in the fire. Cooked food is nice, of course, but fermented food is special. Here are a few examples of the bacterial-enhanced:

yogurt & creme fraiche
cheese
bread
vinegar
soy sauce & miso paste
tempeh
beer, wine & liquor
chocolate (yes, really)

These all receive top marks from me, but the list is incomplete if we’re talking about favourites. My number one fermented food is, by a long shot:

SAUERKRAUT

It’s delicious, crunchy, healthy (if you don’t mind the salt), and fun to say. I’ve had quite a fondness for sauerkraut for some time now, but it wasn’t until last week that some googling catapulted sauerkraut into first place. The stuff is fascinating.

True sauerkraut (and I’m not talking about that cabbage+vinegar concoction you find at hot dog stands) is the product of wild fermentation. This means that it ferments without some human coming along and adding a starter culture.

Human intervention is required, however: It’s the human’s job to add the salt! It’s the salt’s job to inhibit the growth of nasty bacteria and to draw liquid out of the cabbage. This liquid will be home to the good bacteria which, evidently, aren’t bothered by all the salt. It is imperative that the cabbage be submerged in the brine and cabbage-juice solution; oxygen will bring too many rowdy bacteria who only want to crash the sauerkraut party.

When the cabbage is submerged, the party can begin. The cabbage already contains the bacteria necessary for fermentation, along with food (sugar!) for the bacteria to eat. Once the original bacteria have created a sufficiently acidic environment, things start to get interesting. Bacteria that enjoy a low pH join the party, and the original bacteria heads home. The sauerkraut becomes progressively more acidic, and a bunch of carbon dioxide is produced as a side-effect of the fermentation. When conditions are acidic enough, a third (and sometimes a fourth) strain of bacteria joins the party and takes over from the last group. Once this whole floral succession is complete, the sauerkraut consists of cabbage, lactic acid, and Lactobacillus bacteria—a healthy, friendly bacteria for your digestive system.

Work Cited:

Lindquist, John. “Applied Food Microbiology.” Jlindquist.net. 10 Jan. 2009. http://www.jlindquist.net/generalmicro/324sauerkraut.html.

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