Ready, Set, Ferment with the Chef Lab
Introducing our fermentation masterclass. Firstly, how did bubbles and molds became the hottest trend in our industry?
The culinary technique of the moment
Here are some hints: it’s a process that can be done with almost all products and through it, food develops a new texture and taste. It creates fluffiness, moldiness, and deliciousness. It’s the process that coffee, bread, cheese, and salami have in common...right, we're talking about fermentation!
We were impressed by the passion and curiosity that went into the topic of fermentation. There were so many different angles for fermentation techniques, recipes, and products the chefs were speaking about, that we were inspired to build an open-source platform for chefs and people working in the industry to share and preserve their knowledge.
Our first video series all around the topic of fermentation can be found on our Choco Chef Lab.
Related reading
How did fermentation become the ultimate culinary trend?
If you want to learn a bit more about the history of the bubbling process come and travel in time with us. Fermentation is one of the oldest techniques used by mankind to preserve food as well as to change the taste of the food.
Recent research suggests that the oldest sight where fermentation took place was fish turned into Garum in Sweden over 9200 years ago. The discovery of a 5000-year-old beer recipe in China also reveals that we humans have been fermenting products all over the globe for many centuries.
Fermented produce also reflects the regional produce, especially when we think of fermentation as the technique used to preserve harvests and ensure food stocks during the cold seasons.
Fermenting, i.e. preserving and fermenting vegetables, meat & co. in brine, storing supplies for the cold seasons, used to be a natural part of every housewife's basic knowledge. Through this special culinary technique, many ingredients can be preserved or processed into new specialties. From cheese to sauerkraut, bread, or alcoholic beverages - all these products can be enjoyed thanks to fermentation.
The process of fermentation is known to people all over the world and over the past years, numerous specialties have arisen, which belong to the everyday menu and reflect the peculiarities of each cuisine. Chefs have reconnected with the beautiful art of fermentation and are inspiring the world to follow.
International fermentation experts like Sandor Katz or David Zilber, and local fermentation heroes like Markus Shimizu have brought a voice to the science of fermentation. Through their modern approach of working with traditional techniques these days, the fermentation master works closely with thought leader chefs such as Stephan Hentschel or René Redzepi who process their products and then elegantly include them into dishes and perfectly balance the taste with them.
It’s a science and art of itself that we want to bring closer to all chefs around the world and share the knowledge and creativity of those chefs.
Master your fermentation skills with the best
Do you want to learn more about fermentation and how to work with fermented products in your kitchen? Then it's time for you to join our Choco Chef Lab and learn from the world's best chefs and producers through our open-source platform for chefs and people working in the industry.