Here’s our review of the wonderful “The Noma Guide to Fermentation” book! Read up to see what we thought of it.
Any food lover knows the Noma restaurant. From its inspiring chef, René Redzepi, to its appetizing new Nordic cuisine.
But above all, we love Noma for its constant search for new ingredients and culinary processes in order to bring an adventure to the lucky ones who have a reservation.
Cooking with Fermentation Isn’t Just For The Noma
Among these processes, a crazy enthusiasm that we share with Redzepi: cooking with ferments!
“The Noma’s Guide to Fermentation” isn’t just a cookbook (although that would have been enough!). It is in fact an excellent introductory book on fermentation. It deals extensively with:
- Fermentation 101: Everything you ever wanted to know about fermentation It is well presented, clear, and factual. It reads well AND is comprehensive.
- Lacto-fermentation of fruits and vegetables: Mushrooms, asparagus, blueberries, plums, etc.
- Kombucha: Lemon verbena, apple, rose, maple and even coffee-flavoured kombuchas!
- Vinegars: A classic – made from plums, and even celery, squash, and (why not) whiskey!
- Kojis: Barley koji, of course, but there is also a recipe for shio koki, a base used to brine meat or fish.
- Misos and peasos: Including a hazelnut miso. As for the peaso, it’s a yellow pea miso, created in Noma’s kitchens, a bit by mistake!
- Shoyu: Mushrooms are in the spotlight, yum!
- Garum or liquanmen: We all know Nuoc Mam, the famous Vietnamese fermented anchovies sauce, but did you know that we could also make garums with beef, bee pollen and even sautéed grasshoppers?
Interested in Ferments and the Noma?
Order “The Noma Guide to Fermentation” now!
Aren’t These Ferments Appetizing?
Hey, are you salivating yet? We are! Especially since the book is full of sub-recipes; that is, recipes that can be made from a specific fermentation recipe.
For example:
- A pancake syrup made from lemon verbena kombucha
- A gin and rose cocktail made from rose kombucha
- A shrimp stir-fry made with butternut squash vinegar and shrimp garum
- Koji-infused oil that can be used to coat fish and poultry
- Shoyu buttermilk fried chicken
- A mole sauce from roasted koji
In short, in “The Noma Guide to Fermentation“, ferments are not just the end, but the beginning of a gastronomic journey that will bring you to places where the great chefs of classic cuisine have never set foot.
Well done to the Noma team for breaking through yet another culinary door with this book.
And above all, a huge virtual shoutout to Toronto resident David Zilber, the co-author of the book, because he is the fermentation specialist of the Noma brigade.
The fact that René Redzepi is the sous-chef dedicated to the research and development of the restaurant named the best in the world 4 times over demonstrates the great importance he has in the fermentation revolution.
Inspired? It’s up to you to find new fermentation applications of your favourite recipes. In fact, feel free to share pictures of them with us on our Facebook page and/or Instagram using #RevolutionFermentation.
Bon appétit!
The RF team
The ratings of the book, according to the Fermentation Revolution team:
- Jean-Luc 4/5 JARS
- Véronique 4.5/5 JARS
- Norm 8/5 JARS
