A Short History of Pickles, Vinegar and Fermentation

Hello!

Pickled food through the ages and continents!

We will go to the ancient lands of China, India, Mesopotamia, Greece, and Rome, and through them to Persia, the Arab world, Spain and Latin America!

I think a history of civilization is a history of pickles, and fermentation!

Without fermentation we wouldn't have beer, wine, cheese, miso, kimchi. sauerkraut and pickled herrings!

Where would we be then huh? Or how the lactobacillales domesticated humankind...

We will also be seeing a medieval chutney from Richard the II's cookbook "Forme of Cury", evidence of the first "modern" mention of brined cheese aka feta from Crete, the emergence of Dutch pickled herrings and how it conquered Europe, a brief history of saurekraut, Indian pickles, why balsamic vinegar is such a special vinegar, and of course the holy triptych of soya beans- soy sauce- miso!

Sources used in this episode is Jan Davidsons book: Pickles A Global History

and the fantastic Noma Guide to Fermentation 

alongside with Cato "Liber De Agricultura"

and Columella's "De Re Rustica" agricultural manual

Music theme is Seikilos Epitaph the oldest recorded surviving melody, performed by the formidable Panos Kapralos.

Thank you and enjoy!

The Delicious Legacy

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