On the tables stand large bowls of finely chopped vegetables which we reach into with our bare hands. We stuff sliced carrots and cauliflower florets, ground turmeric root and dried lemongrass into preserving jars. In so doing, we exchange no amount of microbes. An hour and a half ago, I didn’t know the two dozen or so people present. Now we’re discussing taste buds and childhood memories, how our grandmothers made sauerkraut or when we drank kombucha for the first time. Meanwhile, we fill the fermentation jars with colourful bits of vegetables. Fermentation, one of the oldest methods of preserving food, is in vogue again.
Hosted by the Sustainability Dossier, the workshop also addressed “social fermentation.” Such social connections occur when people prepare, taste and perceive food together. Social fermentation refers to the process of using microorganisms such as yeasts and bacteria to foster social interactions and build communities. Filling a fermentation jar thus not only contributes to appreciating handmade foods and traditional techniques. It also encourages people to tackle challenges together and share resources. At home, looking at the row of jars on my shelf not only reminds me of what a cherry tomato fermented for weeks tastes like. It also recalls the sense of community that was created on that occasion.