The Noma Guide to Fermentation: Including koji, kombuchas, shoyus, misos, vinegars, garums, lacto-ferments, and black fruits and vegetables (Foundations of Flavor)

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Without question, you need this book. Even if you already have a basic understanding about lacto-fermenting; fermenting kombucha, vinegar, and working with koji; and making your own vinegars, this volume is a treasure trove of inspiration. . . . Beyond the fermentations themselves, Redzepi and Zilber share clever ideas for using each ingredient, such as a blended fermented blueberry paste to smear on fresh corn [and] a coffee kombucha soaked into ladyfingers for tiramisu. . . . Indispensable.” Some readers will appreciate the fact that they are not bombarded with tons of complicated information, minute detail, and various processes, while others will be left wanting more. Also, botulism is relatively rare. In the 2017 CDC national botulism surveillance, there were 182 confirmed lab cases with just 19 or 10% being foodborne. According to the USDA, Clostridium botulinum cannot grow in ph lower than 4.6, so if you want to be extra careful, you can use a ph meter to test your solution.

After reading The Noma Guide to Fermentation, I want to lacto-ferment every single thing in sight! A whole new world of ideas has been opened. As ever, René and his Noma team generously share their knowledge of their initial fermentation ‘accidents’ and how the alchemy of mold, yeast, and bacteria can completely transform one’s cooking.” An indispensable glimpse into how the four-time world’s best restaurant approaches fermented foods, all adapted for the home kitchen. . . . Once you’ve made your first ferment, you’ll understand first-hand how intuitive the methods are and how applicable they are to limitless raw ingredients.” I did some weirrrrd projects,” Zilber says about what helped earn his promotion from chef de partie to director of the lab in 18 months. There is a section on the equipment you will need as well as how to build your very own fermentation chamber. While not everybody may be interested in building a fermentation chamber, this is a neat piece of information that may come in handy later. Building a fermentation chamber is not something you normally find in most books on fermentation.Can be achieved at home. Honest. . . . A massive amount of thought has been put into the writing and the layout of this book and it is clear that a lot of heart has gone into it, too. To be privy to such an extensive and in-depth knowledge of fermentation from these two is an incredible benefit." A significant [marker of] culinary culture. . . . A fresh set of transformative cooking fundamentals . . . [that] make ferments something cooks reach for as readily as salt.” In "The Noma Guide to Fermentation," René Redzepi, chef and co-owner of Noma, and David Zilber, the chef in charge of his renowned fermentation lab, share unique techniques used to produce the restaurant's vast pantry of ferments. My understanding is that the authors probably wanted to offer something new and different and not just repeat what many have already said in other books.

However, this does not mean these types of ferments are not worth exploring. Is The Nome Guide to Fermentation good for experienced people? Smartass in his case means polymath, with some of that encyclopedic databank spilling on to his skin: a tattoo of a map of the solar system within the Milky Way on his right arm, the Schrödinger equation, a description of wave function in physics, on his left.

Summary

There are plenty of day-by-day pictures following the changes that occur in the ferments, which beginners no doubt appreciate as they have a visual queue of what to expect and what their ferment should look like. There are a lot of detailed pictures following the day-to-day changes of ferments.

Overall, The Nome Guide to Fermentation teaches you the basics and the why’s of fermentation. Then it encourages you to experiment. It is a different book, but a book well-worth having. The Noma Guide to Fermentationcan make for an excellent gift to both beginners and experienced fermenters. See also Can be achieved at home. Honest. . . . A massive amount of thought has been put into the writing and the layout of this book and it is clear that a lot of heart has gone into it, too. To be privy to such an extensive and in-depth knowledge of fermentation from these two is an incredible benefit.”The No. 1 issue with this book, has nothing to do with the book itself, but instead the readers expectations. Whether it’s assumed that “guide to fermentation” means covering all fermentation methods, or that the association with Noma garners a certain standard of prestige; either way, I highly recommend putting aside your assumptions and firstly reading the “About This Book” chapter (yes, that part of the book everyone skips). René Redzepi does a fantastic job outlining exactly that to expect, going into great detail about three important components:

The Noma Guide to Fermentation gathers detailed recipes for the restaurant's most successful discoveries, documents the current state of the craft they've helped advance, and offers a superb introduction for chefs and home cooks alike to the practicalities and pleasures of cooking with microbes." An indispensable glimpse into how the four-time world's best restaurant approaches fermented foods, all adapted for the home kitchen. . . . Once you've made your first ferment, you'll understand first-hand how intuitive the methods are and how applicable they are to limitless raw ingredients." Named one of the Best Cookbooks to Give as Gifts by Food & Wine, Bon Appétit, Esquire, Field & Stream, New York Magazine’s The Strategist, The Daily Beast, Eater, Vogue, Business Insider, GQ, Epicurious, and more

Customer reviews

Reveals] the foodie secret of the world’s top chef. . . . Promises to be the canonical western work on microbial terroir.” A perfect foil for lacto-fermented cep juice is cep oil. To make cep oil, heat 500 grams grapeseed oil and 250 grams fresh ceps in a saucepan over medium-low heat until the mushrooms begin to bubble. After about 10 minutes, cut the heat, cover and allow the oil to cool to room temperature. Move the pot to the refrigerator and allow to infuse overnight. The following day, strain the oil and discard the solids. Whisk together equal parts cep oil and lacto-fermented cep juice, then stir in finely minced shallots or slivered garlic scapes and you’ve got a sharp, savoury dressing for raw scallops or lightly poached shrimp. Each section begins with an overview of the process and how it works and then offers several different recipes. There is also plenty of information and step-by-step directions with pictures.