Of Cabbages and Kimchi: A Practical Guide to the World of Fermented Food

Of Cabbages and Kimchi: A Practical Guide to the World of Fermented Food

by James Read

from the publisher

A playful and accessible guide to fermenting at home

James Read is on a mission to smuggle bacteria into our kitchens. In Of Cabbages & Kimchi, he takes the ten greatest 'living' ferments - fermented foods that are neither cooked nor pasteurized - and places them under the microscope, before cooking with them in all their delicious versatility.

From the fiery funk of kimchi to the velvet tang of kefir, James describes the microbial process, then shares his recipes for recreating these wonders in your own kitchen - no specialist equipment required. Alongside his recipes, James investigates the extraordinary cultural and historic backgrounds of fermented foods, exploring how the microbes that bring them to life have developed alongside our culinary evolution.

Featuring over fifty recipes - including Mushroom and Sauerkraut Pierogi, Chilled Radish Noodle Soup and Green Chilli Fermented Salsa - and packed to the brim with Marija Tiurina's gastro-surrealist watercolour illustrations, Of Cabbages and Kimchi will help you create, understand and appreciate fermentation's bubbling magic.

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Original Publisher
Particular Books
Date of publication
2023
ISBN
0241455006

Features & Stories

Consuming Passions: Fermentation

Consuming Passions: Fermentation

James Read is the founder of artisanal kimchi brand Kim Kong Kimchi (a Nigella favourite) and the author of On Cabbages and Kimchi, a bestselling book on fermented food. Here he digs into this obsession and highlights fermentation-related books and recipes from ckbk’s collection.

Recommended by

Clare Heal

Chef, food writer and fermentation expert

When attendees of my fermenting class ask me for further reading recommendations this is top of my list. James Read gives you historical context and scientific understanding of sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir and other ferments along with simple recipes. It’s wittily written, has useful troubleshooting sections and super-weird-but-beautiful illustrations.