Fermentation 2.0: Novel Ferments, New Substrates and Revolutionary Flavors

Overview

In this feature on fermentation 2.0, New Scientist interview hosts explore how novel substrates and microbes are expanding the world of fermented foods. The episode showcases a Piso miso made with yellow split peas, a Nordic soy sauce brewed from fava beans and toasted rice, and blue cheeses produced with sexually varied molds to create new flavor profiles. The discussion highlights health claims, food waste reduction, and the potential for a broader palate of textures and aromas emerging from these innovations.

Key Takeaways

Fermentation 2.0 blends traditional techniques with new substrates and microbes to yield strikingly different colors, textures, and flavors. It also points to health and sustainability benefits as byproducts of novel fermentation pathways.

Introduction to Fermentation 2.0

The video begins with a broad look at fermentation as an ancient food processing method and introduces Fermentation 2.0, a wave of innovation that uses novel substrates and microbes, or new microbial strains on known substrates, to produce previously untasted flavors and textures. The presenters emphasize that this is as much about exploring new microbial ecology as it is about culinary experiments.

Traditional Foundations and New Frontiers

The hosts recount how most traditional ferments arose by accident over centuries, creating staples such as miso, soy sauce, cheese, beer, and wine. Fermentation 2.0 seeks to disrupt this through deliberate fermentation using microbes that have not been commonly employed in food production, and substrates that have not previously been fermented. The aim is to generate novel sensory experiences and to expand the palette of fermentation for foods and drinks.

Case Studies: Piso Miso and Nordic Soy Sauce

Ali introduces a Piso miso, a miso variant developed by Copenhagen’s Noma. Traditional miso uses moulds grown on white rice and soybeans; Piso applies the same moulds to yellow split peas and other Scandinavian pulses, producing a new miso variant with a sweeter, less sharp profile that is described as delicious and complex. The next tasting is a Nordic soy sauce, also from Noma, brewed with fava beans and toasted rice instead of soybeans and wheat. The colour and aroma are notably different, and the tasting panel notes that the Nordic sauce is less salty yet deeply aromatic and flavourful, offering a distinct profile from traditional soy sauce.

Cheese: Sexual Moulds and Flavor Explosion

The discussion moves to cheese, centered on moulds used to make blue cheeses. Traditionally, blue moulds reproduce asexually, limiting genetic diversity. A University of Nottingham project introduced sexual reproduction in cheese moulds to expand genetic variation, yielding richer and more varied blue cheeses. A standard Gorgonzola is contrasted with a modified version, described as intensely flavorful with a complex, fruity aroma. The tasting extends to three Danish blue cheeses, each produced with different strains of a mould that intensifies blue veining and flavor. The panel experiences a range from creamy to pungent and exuberant, with one sample described as extremely bold and aromatic, sometimes described as “turned up to 11.”

Health, Sustainability, and the Future of Fermentation

The narrative connects fermentation 2.0 to potential health benefits associated with fermented foods and to the broader sustainability argument of turning sometimes wasted inputs into valuable foods, thus addressing food waste and resource use. The hosts acknowledge that although there is a health halo around fermented foods, concrete evidence for specific health benefits in these novel products remains an area for ongoing research. The overarching message is one of curiosity and opportunity, with microbes that have never been used in fermentation offering a wide horizon of flavors, textures, and nutritional possibilities.

Conclusion

The video closes by highlighting the sense of mystery and potential in fermentation 2.0, where new substrates and microbes promise to surprise and delight while also offering practical benefits in terms of food waste reduction and new culinary avenues. The hosts affirm that this is a burgeoning field with much to discover in the coming years.