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Scientific hippie

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Has anyone seen this book? It's by Rene Redzepi and David Zilber, the guys who run the famous hoity-toity Noma restaurant in Denmark. They try to use local Scandinavian ingredients exclusively. They are BIG on fermentation. I bought the book, thinking I would love it. Going through it, though, I find I have dogeared just a few pages about kombucha (and they flavor all their kombucha during the primary fermentation, so one needs a different SCOBY for each flavor). There are a lot of photos of dried peas, barley, rye bread, corn, and other things being made into miso or koji (made with Aspergillus oryzae). They rave about all the flavors that result; I found myself reflecting on the fact that stomach cancer used to be the #1 killer in Japan before they began eating more of a Western diet. I'd be interested to find out if anyone else has tried any of the recipes.
 
I got it as a Christmas gift! I actually just put my first attempt at miso into the fermenter.
 
What kind of fermenter are you using?

I have one of these “crazy korean” brand fermenters I’ve used for kimchi and pickles in the past, so I pressed that into service for the miso.

IMG_8043.JPG


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M40ANMO/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
 
I have one of these “crazy korean” brand fermenters I’ve used for kimchi and pickles in the past, so I pressed that into service for the miso.

View attachment 607475

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M40ANMO/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
I have a crazy Korean and an e-Jen fermenter. I can't really tell one from the other, both great fermenters.

But regarding the book, yes or no? I have it in my wishlist but on the fence about ordering it.
In my list, I also have "The Art of Fermentation: An In-Depth Exploration of Essential Concepts and Processes from around the World" by Sandor Katz. Any experience or opinions?
 
I'm in posession of some koji spores and fine polished sushi rice. Planning to brew it and then distill it. Is this bad for my health? I'm just after a buzz, man.
 
I have one of these “crazy korean” brand fermenters I’ve used for kimchi and pickles in the past, so I pressed that into service for the miso.

It looks really cool.

I should preface what I'm going to say by stating that I eat fermented foods (miso, kimchi, shoe) myself, although not on a daily basis. I am just concerned because there has been research into the cause of the high gastric cancer rates in Asia, and some pretty good evidence has linked it to consumption of fermented soy and fermented vegetables. When I see comments on Amazon about the various fermenters ("...my first batch got moldy") it concerns me; there is lots of evidence that Aspergillus flavus, a common mold contaminant, produces a toxin that is linked to liver cancer.
On the other hand, there has been a lot of research pointing to the chemoprotective effects of Aspergillus oryzae, the mold used in koji.

I don't know if I will invest in a fermenter just yet.
 
I'm having trouble with "Reply"; I hope this works:It looks really cool.

I should preface what I'm going to say by stating that I eat fermented foods (miso, kimchi, shoe) myself, although not on a daily basis. I am just concerned because there has been research into the cause of the high gastric cancer rates in Asia, and some pretty good evidence has linked it to consumption of fermented soy and fermented vegetables. When I see comments on Amazon about the various fermenters ("...my first batch got moldy") it concerns me; there is lots of evidence that Aspergillus flavus, a common mold contaminant, produces a toxin that is linked to liver cancer.
On the other hand, there has been a lot of research pointing to the chemoprotective effects of Aspergillus oryzae, the mold used in koji.

I don't know if I will invest in a fermenter just yet.
 
I have a crazy Korean and an e-Jen fermenter. I can't really tell one from the other, both great fermenters.

But regarding the book, yes or no? I have it in my wishlist but on the fence about ordering it.
In my list, I also have "The Art of Fermentation: An In-Depth Exploration of Essential Concepts and Processes from around the World" by Sandor Katz. Any experience or opinions?

A lot fo the recipes are pretty involved; I found I just marked a few for kombucha. The reviews have been pretty good, thought one person pointed out that this is a giant book of recipes for condiments. I have heard good things about the Katz book but my experience with nonalcoholic fermentation has been limited to kombucha, which I make and drink in vast quantities.
 
The Noma book is very specific to a certain Nordic context. It’s definitely an interesting book, and actually really beautifully laid out, as well. It doesn’t have recipes for miso, though, for instance, since soybeans aren’t “Nordic enough,” but rather “peaso,” make with yellow shell peas. So it’s not a very useful general fermentation tome — more of a specific cookbook for that restaurant.
 
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