New York Times Bestseller

Sandor Ellix Katz

Foreword by Michael Pollan

f e r m e n t at io n
An in-depth explorAtion of essentiAl concepts And processes from Around the world

The

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With Practical Information on Fermenting Vegetables, Fruits, Grains, Milk, Beans, Meats, and More

deviseamakeshiftpresstoexpressasmuchshoyuliquidaspossiblefromthe moromi. Storeshoyuinbottlesinarefrigeratororcoolspot.Moldmaydevelop ontheexposedsurfaceofunpasteurizedshoyu;ifso,removeanddiscardthe Fermented soy nuggets: hamanatto and Douchi mold,anddontworryaboutit.Enjoyyourrich,complexhomemadeshoyuas Soynuggetsarewholefermentedsoybeans,knownasshihorchiinChina. aseasoning,andsavesometouseasastarterforyournextbatch.Thepressed TheyarelittleknownintheWestbutareconsideredtobetheancestorofall moromicanbeusedasmiso,orasamediumforpicklingvegetables. themorewidelyknownfermentedsoybeanpastesandsauces.Ironically,this oldestofallfermentedsoyfoodsis,today,theleastwidelyknownworldwide, writeWilliamShurtleffandAkikoAoyagi,whocoinedthephrasesoy nugget todescribethem,eventhoughthetermnuggetimpliesthattheindividual soybeansarehard,whereasinfacttheyareassoftasraisins.39 TheonlyfermentedsoynuggetsthatIhaveseensoldinretailmarketsin theUnitedStatesareChinesefermentedblacksoybeans(douchi).AJapanese style,whichIhavemadeanddescribebelow,isknownashamanatto.Note thathamanattoiscompletelydifferentfromthemorewidelyknownferment callednatto(describedinthenextsection).Ifirstbecameintriguedabout hamanattofromaconversationwithCynthiaBates,afermentedsoybean aficionadowhohasruntheTempehLabatTheFarminTennesseefordecades, whotoldmethatthemostdeliciousfermentedsoyshehadevertriedwashamanatto.Indeed,theluscious,creamy,salty,sour,umamisoybeanspacksome denseandcompellingflavor. Tomakehamanatto,soaksoybeansovernightandsteamuntilsoft. Drainthebeansandallowthemtocooltobodytemperature.Inoculatewith soykoji(availablefromGEMCultures).IncubateasdescribedinMaking Koji,chapter10at8090F/2732Cfor48hoursorlonger.Inthiscase,you wantthemoldtosporulate,soletitgrowuntilitturnsgreen.Oncethemold sporulatesonthesoybeans,drytheminthesunorinadehydrator.They neednotbe100percentcrispydry;anaccountbyaUSDAscientistinvestigatingJapanesefermentsnotesthatincommercialJapanesehamanatto production,beansaredrieduntilthemoistureisreducedto12percent.40I havenomeanstogaugemoisturecontenttothatdegreeofprecision,butthe ideaisthatthebeansshouldbemostlydry,butretainsomemoisture,and withitsoftness. Inthesecondstageofthefermentation,placethesedriedmoldedbeansin acrockorothervesselthatcanbeweigheddown.Mixa15percentbrine(15% saltbasedontheweightofthewater)tocoverit(thatproportionisheavily dilutedbythebeansthemselves).Mypound-of-soybeansbatchtooklessthan 3cupsofbrinetocover,andthebrinedbeansfilledjustaboutaquart/literof volume.Addthinlyslicedgingertothebrinedbeans,stirwell,weighdown,

FermenTinG BeAns, seeDs, AnD nuTs

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natto

coverwithaclothtokeepfliesaway,andfermentatambienttemperaturesfor sixmonthstoayear. Youcantastehamanattobeansastheyfermenttosampletheirevolving flavor.Whenyoudeemthemready,drythemonceagain,inthesunorina dehydrator.Idriedmineaftersixmonthsoffermentation.Atfirst,whilethey werewet,itwasdifficulttoseparateoutindividualbeanswithoutcrushing them.Ijustdumpedthefermentingbeansontoabakingsheet,brokethemup intoclumps,andputthetrayoutsideunderbrightsun.Withinafewhours, theclumpshaddriedenoughthatitwaseasiertocrumblethemintoindividualbeans.Asthebeansdried,Iwasabletoseparatethemintoindividual beansthatlookedlikeraisins.Ialsoseparatedoutthestripsofginger,which weresuper-tasty,andslicedthemintoslivers.Afterafewdaysofalternating betweendaysinthesunandnightswithafanblowingonthem,thesoynuggetsweredry.Dontoverdrythem.Theyshouldntbehardorbrittle,butstill softandsupple,likeraisins. Hamanattoissodelicious!Ienjoyedthemassnacks,buttheyaretoo saltytoeatmorethanafew.Iusedthemmostlyasadeeplyflavoredbasefor saucesanddressings,modeledlooselyontherenownedChineseblackbean sauce.(TheChineseblackbeansarefermentedinanearlyidenticalprocess, describedbelow.)Coverafewtablespoonfulsofhamanattowithwater.Let themsoakinwaterafewminutes,thenremovebeansfromwaterandmince themfinely(savethesoakingwater).Heatoilandstir-frygarlic,shallots,and/oronionswiththemincedsoynuggets.Thenaddsoaking water,stock,ricebeerorvinegar,soysauce,hotsauce,alittle honey,sugar,orothersweetener,anyotherbelovedcondiments,andalittlecornstarch,dissolvedinwater,tothicken. Keepstirringthesauceasitcooksforafewminutes,untilit beginstothicken;enjoythiscompellingfermentedbeansauceon almostanything.Youcanalsosimplyaddthemwholeintosauces orbraisingliquidsthatwillcookforawhile. Chineseblackbeans,douchithetraditionalbasisforthissauceare madeinaprocesssimilartohamanatto.Soybeans(yelloworblack)are soaked,cookeduntilsoft,cooled,inoculatedwithAspergillussporesormixed moldcultures,andincubatedaround8090F/2732Cforabout72hours, untilthemoldonthebeansturnsgreen,indicatingsporulation.Incontrast tothehamanattomethoddescribedabove,inthedouchimethodthebeans arenotdriedatthisstagebutratherwashed,toremovethespores,which wouldimpartbitterflavor.Forthesecond-stagefermentation,thebeansare fermentedinbrine,sometimeswithsugarand/orhotchilipaste,forfourtosix months,thendried.41 isaJapanesesoyfermentthatproducesaslimy,mucilaginouscoating onthebeans,somethinglikeokra.InJapanese,thisqualityiscalledneba; Natto

328 The ArT OF FermenTATiO