I thought it might be a good idea to actually explain the process of fermentation and how its a part of our everyday life. If you're looking for all that geeky, scientific stuff with chemical formulas, numbers and symbols, this is the wrong place. I'll leave that to those more qualified. My concern has more to do with spirituality and philosophy than classrooms and text books.
Why do I approach it this way? Because this is my blog, and thats just the way I am. I look at fermentation, and I'll use wine as my example, as a union or marriage made in Heaven. To put it simply, yeast + sugar = alcohol and carbon dioxide. Whoops, I might have crossed the line into someone else's area of expertise there. But this is a naturally occuring phenomenon that has been recognized and used for centuries.
Philosophically, we can now start using terms like "alchemy" and "elixir of life". This process of separate components coming together to form a more perfect union is what I am describing. A long courtship or engagement isn't neccessary here, but bear in mind that some fermentations take longer than others.
Therefore, in my myopic view, fermentation is simply putting these separate components together in a room, dimming the lights and playing some Barry White music. Nature takes over from here. Though some might argue that Marvin Gaye's "Lets Get it On" works equally well, the fact is that its going to happen regardless of the backround music. So, sit back and enjoy one of the beautiful gifts of Mother Nature. Whether you're shaking a bottle of soy sauce into your stir fry, emulsifying some Balsamic vinegar into your salad dressing or just kicking back with a glass of wine, fermentation is a wonderful addition to our quality of life.
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