Sandor Katz's Fermentation Journeys

From James Beard Award winner and New York Times–bestselling author of The Art of Fermentation: the recipes, processes, cultural traditions, and stories from around the globe that inspire Sandor Katz and his life’s work—a cookbook destined to become a modern classic essential for every home chef.

“Sandor’s life of curiosity-filled travel and exploration elicits a sense of wonder as tastes, sights, and smells leap off the pages to ignite your imagination.”—David Zilber, chef, fermenter, food scientist, and coauthor of The Noma Guide to Fermentation

“This international romp is funky in the best of ways.”—Publishers Weekly

“His teachings and writings on fermentation have changed lives around the world.”—BBC

For the past two decades, fermentation expert and bestselling author Sandor Katz has traveled the world, both teaching and learning about the many fascinating and delicious techniques for fermenting foods. Wherever he’s gone, he has gleaned valuable insights into the cultures and traditions of local and indigenous peoples, whether they make familiar ferments like sauerkraut or less common preparations like natto and koji.

In his latest book, Sandor Katz’s Fermentation Journeys, Katz takes readers along with him to revisit these special places, people, and foods.

This cookbook goes far beyond mere general instructions and explores the transformative process of fermentation through:

• Detailed descriptions of traditional fermentation techniques

• Celebrating local customs and ceremonies that surround particular ferments

• Profiles of the farmers, business owners, and experimenters Katz has met on his journeys

It contains over 60 recipes for global ferments, including:

• Chicha de jora (Ecuador)

• Misa Ono’s Shio-koji, or salt koji (Japan)

• Doubanjiang (China)

• Efo riro spinach stew (Nigeria)

• Whole sour cabbages (Croatia)

• Chucula hot chocolate (Colombia)

Sandor Katz’s Fermentation Journeys reminds us that the magical power of fermentation belongs to everyone, everywhere. Perfect for adventurous foodies, armchair travelers, and fermentation fanatics who have followed Katz’s work through the years—from Wild Fermentation to The Art of Fermentation to Fermentation as Metaphor—this book reflects the enduring passion and accumulated wisdom of this unique man, who is arguably the world’s most experienced and respected advocate of all things fermented.

More Praise for Sandor Katz:

“[Katz is the] high priest of fermentation.”—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker

“The fermentation movement’s guru.”—USA Today

“A fermentation master.”—The Wall Street Journal

Pages:352 pages

Book Art:Full-color photographs throughout

Size:7 x 10 inch

Publisher:Chelsea Green Publishing

Pub. Date:October 28, 2021

ISBN:9781645020349

Reviews and Praise

• "Sandor Katz’s Fermentation Journeys highlights the personal anecdotes that ignited his passion for fermentation. We are transported to each remote village through him and introduced to the people behind the recipes he has shared. Fermentation is an important method of food preservation that brings unique textures and flavors to many dishes. Sandor has managed to expose the ancient techniques behind the practice while providing approachable recipes for the home cook."—Daniel Boulud, chef/restaurateur, author of Letters to a Young Chef

• “In his Fermentation Journeys, Sandor Katz’s life of curiosity-filled travel and exploration elicits a sense of wonder as tastes, sights, and smells leap off the pages to ignite your imagination. This book doesn’t simply serve as a near-encyclopedic travelogue to countless ferments from around the world. It cements the grandfather of the fermentation revival as a great naturalist of our time; an enthusiastic adventurer seeking out not giant beasts, but microscopic ones, through friendships, community, recipes, and more-than-human stories.”—David Zilber, chef, fermenter, food scientist, and coauthor of The Noma Guide to Fermentation

• “Sandor Katz has done it again. This time he learns alongside all of us as we travel the world with him and study centuries-old cultural traditions of all things fermented.”—Dan Barber, chef/co-owner, Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns; author of The Third Plate

• “When I absentmindedly wandered into Sandor Katz’s session at the IACP Conference in San Francisco in 2012, a whole new world opened up to me. Ever since then I’ve been spreading the gospel and devouring every snippet of information. This gem of a book, detailing Sandor’s ‘fermentation journeys’ around the world, is a dream come true for this Irish fermentation nerd.”—Darina Allen, Ballymaloe Cookery School

• “I’ve learned more from Sandor Katz over the years than from any other culinarian that I’ve worked with or studied under. This book takes you on a mystical and magical journey through the seemingly endless rabbit hole that is fermentation. From koji to chocolate sauerkraut cake to doubanjiang, Sandor not only shows us how to make these delicious foods but also thoroughly explains the how’s and why’s behind them. Get your crocks and salt ready to start fermenting!”—Jeremy Umansky, chef/owner, Larder Delicatessen & Bakery; coauthor of Koji Alchemy

• “More than just fermentation cookbook meets travel journal, Sandor Katz’s Fermentation Journeys is a love letter to the world fermentation community. Like threads of forest mycelium linking underground communication networks, this worldwide community shares knowledge and a belief that fermentation can heal. As Katz documents recipes and techniques, he focuses on the story of place and the individuals that shared their traditions or ideas. In this way, it is a book the fermentation community built.”—Kirsten K. Shockey, author of Homebrewed Vinegar and coauthor of Miso, Tempeh, Natto & Other Tasty Ferments

• “Sandor Katz opens our eyes to the generous humans around the globe sharing their cultures through the lens of fermentation. Each vivid story transports you to moments of discovery and wonder, sparking memories of a crafty family member who makes something delicious, pulled from the depths of their home, that you can’t get enough of. Multiply that experience one hundred times and you’ll begin to understand the power of this book.”—Rich Shih, coauthor of Koji Alchemy

• “What incredible adventures around the world! Many of the ferments featured here, both traditional and experimental, will be unknown to a majority of readers. I predict Sandor’s book will inspire yet another wave of fermentation enthusiasts. The recipes here will get us started.”—Ken Albala, professor of history, University of the Pacific