Though common practice throughout history, food fermentation is now approached with both excitement and trepidation. Fermentation extends storage while also greatly increasing the array of flavors in a diet. In fact, fermented foods are key to the iconic tastes of cultures around the world: German sauerkraut, Korean kimchi, and Japanese soy sauce are just a few examples. In this class, we will demystify how fermentation works through historical context and modern food science. We’ll make the most basic ferments to the most advanced achievable for the home cook, including kraut, kimchi, yogurt, kombucha, kefirs, and tempeh. We will also learn to grow koji in this course, which will unlock many more doors to creating miso, soy sauce, mirin, amazake, shio koji, and more.