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Every day I eat food that’s teeming with bacteria-billions of them.

To some, this may sound like reckless behavior, consorting with supposedly dangerous enemies. After all, we live in the midst of a war on bacteria, which teaches us to fear bacteria as vectors of contagion and deploys an arsenal of chemical compounds to destroy all types of microorganisms. Yet eating bacterially rich food is an important part of how I stay healthy.

For me, it started with sauerkraut. After moving to the country and taking up gardening, the fleeting abundance of cabbage in our garden inspired me to learn how to make sauerkraut, primarily as a strategy for preservation. I found an old crock buried in our barn, harvested cabbage from the garden, chopped it up, salted it, pounded it, packed it into the crock, and waited.

That first batch of kraut 20 years ago tasted so alive and powerfully nutritious! Its sharp flavor sent my salivary glands into a frenzy and got me hooked on fermentation. I have made sauerkraut ever since, earning the nickname Sandorkraut, even as my repertoire has expanded. For two decades now, I have explored and experimented widely in the realm of fermentation, investigating and immersing myself in ancient wisdom. I have learned about fermentation’s integral role in food and healing all around the world. I have come to believe that fermentation has continued and growing relevance in the 21st century, and I now consider myself a fermentation revivalist, with a mission to share fermentation skills, information, and resources.   

It’s rare for anyone, almost anywhere, to go through a day without eating or drinking something fermented. Products of fermentation are some of our most basic daily staples and favorite special treats, and this has been true for longer than recorded history in almost every region of the world. Fermented foods and beverages are celebrated for their powerful, complex flavors and aromas, recognized for their unique healing qualities, revered as holy sacraments, and relied upon for preserving food from seasons of plenty for survival through leaner times.