Cultured Foods from West Cork
By Hayley Milthorpe
I began my love affair with live fermented foods whilst studying to become a nutritional therapist. I was passionate about using food as a medicine.
I was particularly interested in the diets of our ancestors and the foods they consumed. For thousands of years they used fermentation to create foods with nutritional value far superior to that of what most people eat today, and to preserve foods without freezing or canning We regularly consumed live fermented foods in our diet but now other methods of artificial preservation have replaced more traditional ones.
Live fermented foods are rich in beneficial bacteria and yeasts, but scientists are only beginning to scratch at the surface of understanding the complex role they play in health. All the research
indicates that a good balance of gut flora is important in achieving optimal health. I began experimenting at home creating live fermented foods such as yoghurt, crème fraiche, kefir, kombucha, ginger beer, lactofermented gherkins, kimchi and of course sauerkraut. I was hooked!
The Cultured Food Company is helping lead the revival of these nutritionally dense and deliciously complex fermented foods. As Indian activist, Vandana Shiva proclaimed, “The time has come for us to reclaim the stolen harvest and celebrate the growing and giving of good food as the highest gift and most revolutionary act.”
