Fermentation

Fermentation is the oldest cooking technique on earth and the one experiencing the biggest renaissance. Controlled microbial transformation creates sourdough bread, kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, yogurt, cheese, kombucha, and every alcoholic beverage ever made. Sandor Katz's "The Art of Fermentation" sparked a global movement. Noma's fermentation lab pushed it into high gastronomy. The technique requires understanding salt ratios, temperature, and time — but the microbes do the actual cooking for you.