What’s the deal with fermented food?

What’s the deal with fermented food?

I RECENTLY met a man in a car park who had been advertising his wares on the Gumtree. He was offering these special grains that would help me create my own concoctions at home. He handed me a brown paper bag and didn’t expect any money in return. I took the grains and went home where I started my experiments.

This all sounds really dodgy but it’s all very innocent I promise — the grains were for making kefir milk — a fermented milk drink that’s similar to yoghurt but thinner in consistency. In order to make kefir at home you need kefir grains which many people give away on various online forums or you can buy kefir starter kits through a number of online health food retailers.

Kefir is just one of a number of fermented foods that have risen in popularity especially in the last year. Celebrity chef Pete Evans is a big proponent of fermented foods and even sells his own fermentation kit.

The lady who has been credited with weaning us off sugar, Sarah Wilson, also highly recommends fermented foods as part of her diet regimen.

But are fermented foods just the latest diet fad or are they something that will give a serious boost to one’s health?

Nutritionist and spokesman for the Dieticians Association of Australia, Kate Gudorf, certainly believes fermented foods can help promote good health.

“One of the benefits of fermented foods is that the bacteria used in the fermentation process can provide probiotics, which are healthy gut bacteria. When you have a healthy gut it helps keep your immune system functioning well.

Some of the foods she lists that are fermented include, “Sauerkraut and kimchi. Yoghurt probiotics. Drinks such as Kombucha and kefir. And Miso.”

Sauerkraut and kimchi are types of pickled cabbage, which are both easily made at home and are commonly stocked in large supermarkets. Kombucha is a fermented tea drink, which can be bought bottled from health food stores or made at home with a type of culture called a ‘scoby’. And miso is a paste most commonly made from fermented soya beans — it is used in Japanese cooking and is widely available.

While fermented foods are a nutritious way to get probiotics into one’s diet, Kate finds most of her clients tend to get probiotics through supplements.

“Fermented foods are currently very much on trend but most people take supplements rather than turning to such foods. It is still new to most people.”

This is not necessarily a bad thing as long as one is including probiotics in their diet.

“We are increasingly finding out the benefits of probiotics — when your gut bacteria is in balance you’re less likely to fall sick,” she says. “Most of your body’s immune system is located in your gut, so you’re much more likely to ward off common colds and illnesses by improving your gut health.

When I mention my experiments making kefir milk at home, Kate tells me I’m not the only one.
“More and more people are making their own fermented foods,” she said. They do this mostly because it is cost effective and it is widely believed that foods fermented at home contain more nutritional benefits than commercially produced versions.

However Kate warns that with Kombucha especially one should be careful.

“If improperly prepared Kombucha can bring on toxic hepatitis or liver dysfunction,” she says. “So you really need to learn how to make these foods safely and practice safe cooking techniques. There are plenty of classes in making fermented foods — try and check out a class or speak to someone well experienced in preparing these foods.”

I have to be honest, after making my kefir milk I was very hesitant to try it. Would I still be alive after drinking milk that had been fermenting in a warm kitchen cupboard, I wondered? Well I’m here to say I’m still here and kicking.