What is the chief function of fermentation? It’s a question that invites multiple answers, such as nutritional enhancement and promotion of gut health and microbiome diversity. There’s also food preservation, which was especially important before refrigerators and industrial processing were invented.
Occam’s razor would suggest an oft-overlooked factor that fermented food simply tastes good: Without fermentation, sauerkraut isn’t sour and bread is airless.
For home cooks, fermentation has always been one of the best methods to extend the shelf life of fleeting seasonal ingredients. The sweet spot, of course, is a mixture of all of the above.
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