Fermentation as

Metaphor
 By
Sandor Ellix Katz
Chelsea Green Publishing
Co

Imagine an unseen universe, one that exists literally beneath our

notice. One that is only visible to human eyes when magnified by
powerful instruments. Then, we see a veritable garden of diversity-
communities of microbes living in cooperation and competition,
much as we humans do in our macro-sized world. Yet without these
unseen actors-these adaptive and resilient single-celled organisms-
we would literally not be ourselves, for bacteria comprise a large
 proportion of our bodies. They are a large part of us, and we of
them. They live on and inside of us, and on every surface, quietly
doing their jobs, which for the most part are highly beneficial and
essential for our health and well-being.

This is the secret world that fermentation expert Sandor Katz invites
us to explore with him. In his latest book, Fermentation as
Metaphor, he goes far beyond merely explaining the processes by
which microbes transform our foods, making them tasty and safe for
consumption. In a series of short reflections on fermentation, he
draws intriguing parallels between the communities of microbial life
and aspects of our human culture: politics, religion, social and
cultural movements, art, music, sexual mores, and even our
individual thoughts and feelings.

Katz offers a contemplation, based on science, about the nature of

ourselves, our fellow beings, and the inseparable interaction of the
two. He explores the human concepts of purity and contamination,
revealing that the first is an unattainable, even undesirable goal, and
that the latter is typically not something to be shunned, even if we
could. Along the way, he informs his arguments with his vast
knowledge of fermentation, which he describes as a slow, gentle,
steady, yet unstoppable force for change.

Perfect for foodies and fans of fermentations and Katz's previous

bestsellers (Wild Fermentation and The Art of Fermentation), this
book also features dozens of incredible photos that exalt microbial
life from the level of "germs" to that of high art.

Chelsea Green Publishing Co

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