1Long before refrigerators existed, people all over the world relied on fermentation to preserve their harvests.
2This ancient natural process transforms humble ingredients into foods with remarkable depth of flavour and character.
3Cabbage becomes kimchi in Korea, sauerkraut in Germany, and tangy pickles across many other cultures.
4Fresh milk turns into cheese and yoghurt, while humble soybeans become miso, tempeh, and soy sauce.
5Microscopic bacteria and yeasts do the real work, quietly feeding on sugars and producing flavourful acids.
6The final result is not only safe to eat but often far more nutritious than before.
7Many fermented foods support healthy digestion and introduce helpful living bacteria into the human gut.
8In recent years, many chefs have rediscovered fermentation as a rich source of exciting new flavours.
9Fine restaurants around the world now keep jars of homemade ferments bubbling away in their basements.
10What began as simple necessity has become one of the most creative areas of cooking.