INTRODUCTION Discovering Fermentation not a big part of my culinary education. Maybe a couple of times a year we would eat choucroute gamie (garnished sauerkraut) pur chased in jars or cans at the store. It was cheap and easy to prepare, just an already cooked sauerkraut with sausage and salted pork. The idea of raw fermentation, as well as the concept of probiotics and the health benefits associated with the process, never entered the picture. I even think my ‘mom served itwhen the food budget was particularly low that week: it was cheap canned food. My favorite part was the meat—the cooked sauerkraut wasn't exactly my I grew up in Belgium, and the sour flavors of lacto-fermentation were cup of tea. Even cooked, it still had that strange sourness I wasn't accus- tomed to. I'm pretty sure that if I had asked my parents or even my grandparents how sauerkraut was made, they would have had no clue—it was already a lost practice. But if you study the various components of this garnished sauerkraut, you'll realize that it was solid paysan (peasant) food based on extremely traditional food preservation techniques: salting and fermentation. Salted meat and sausage were important staples in the old days, and fermented cabbage was one way to get you through the winter and add a decent amount of vitamin € that could prevent scurvy as well. ‘That purchased jar was pure food preservation history and probably a very Juxurious meal for my ancestors. ‘Once I left home, I never thought of purchasing lacto-fermented prod- ucts, Of course, I still ate and drank a lot of fermented products like cheese, wines, beers, salamis, and so on ... but not fermented vegetables, rediscovered fermentation 30 years later when I moved to Americaand specifically to Los Angeles, At the time I wasliving near Pasadena, which has a large Asian population and quite alot of Asian grocery stores and restaurants, ‘One day, as adedicated foodie, I decided to be adventurous and took the kids to a Korean barbecue restaurant. A couple of minutes after we sat down, the waitress placed on the table a dozen beautiful lite pickledcondiments in small bowls; the colors ranged from bright yellow to deep red. I wasnt sure what they were and was definitely intrigued. (I've always loved tasty surprises.) I could sce sliced orange roots sprinkled with chives submerged in a reddish liquid; unusual yellow squares, which I assumed were also from a root vegetable; pungent cucumbers with a generous amount of red chili flakes; some sort of boiled greens with seeds on top: and many other foods. All of them were super pretty. ‘One caught my attention, as the bowl was noticeably bigger. It was some sort of leafy vegetable immersed in red sauce, but I could also sec litte bits of garlic and chili lakes. I didn't know what to make of the odor, though— it was a bie repulsive and intriguing atthe same time Irooka bite, and utter confusion established itselfon my taste buds. Iewas sour, sweet, sugary, spicy, salty, Fishy, and yer, inan odd way, itkind of made sense. Part of me rejected it and another part of me loved it. The flavors were extremely remote from anything I'd experienced to that point. Originally, I had expected vinegar-based pickles, but this was another universe of favors altogether. I wried the other colorful condiments; some did use vinegar and ‘were more familiar to my European palate, while others were quite unusual liked a few of them, but some were definitely more challenging. One thing for sure: I could not shake the strange sensation the first one gave ‘me —it was asif my body craved it.I asked what it was, and Iwas told it was fermented cabbage in a spicy sauce called kimehi ‘Overall it was 2 great evening and we left the restaurant quite fulfilled, but it didn’t take long, maybe a few days, before my culinary curiosity took ‘me to the local Korean supermarket. There I examined various shelves of completely unknown food: bags of dried seaweeds of al sorts: dehydrated herbs and mushrooms: a whole aisle of seeds and grains; numerous con- tainers of brown and red pastes; and, of course, a whole section of fresh and frozen fish. My head was spinning—for a Belgian country boy, this was a brand-new unexplored food universe | focused on my quest to find kimchi, not sure if could even recognize the concoction amid the tremendous variety of colorful jars and boxes covered with unknown writing. But in the end, I didn’t have to search long, As T walked into a new aisle, I was welcomed by rows of glass and plastic containers of all shapes and sizes, cach labeled ximcut in English. And there it was: I could see the cabbage leaves submerged in the reddish liquid. My quest was over! I purchased the smallest jar and took it home. T'llbe honest, it was not loveat first bite. It actually took me weeks to get used to the strong fermented taste of raw kimehi and the countless varia- tions on that condiment. It was a completely alien flavor profile, but the ‘more I ate it, the more I craved it until it eventually became a love affair. wi rrafted FermentationFermentation had entered my life! In retrospect, I probably should have started with milder raw ferments (kimchi can be quite “out there” in terms of smell and taste), but once you love kimchi, you've pretty much arrived: ‘most other plant-based ferments are much milder, Fermenting and Wild Food Yer lacto-fermenting still seemed a very dangerous, esoteric, and complex process to me. Very little information existed at the time detailing how ferments are made. This soon changed, however, with the invention of the internet, and the timing suited me perfectly. As I explained in my book The New Wildcrafted Cuisine, in the mid: 1990s I became interested in wilderness survival skills and took many classes with anyone who could teach the subject locally. Of course, wild food was often part of the curriculum, largely from a survival perspective With a very few exceptions, most of the dishes ereated were pretty basie and somewhat bland. We're talking stews, boiled greens, wild flour pan cakes, and so on. ‘Tasting plants directly exposed me to the incredible favors that wild edibles can provide, but in the classes and workshops I attended, they were not truly explored to their full potential Still, for me, it was very much like a spiritual awakening. Ibecame fasci- nated with researching wild edibles and exploring their true flavors through culinary applications. One of the things that frustrated me very carly on was the fact that, unlike commercial products, wild edibles are available for only a shore period of time. You'll find some vegetables and fruits available all year long at the grocery store, but lamb’s-quarter (Chenopodium album) or local chickweed (Srellaria media) will be available for only a month or two. Strangely enough, aside from freezing, dehydrating, and smoking, the whole subject of wild food preservation techniques wasn't explored very much in the survival field. Yer if you chink about it, these are essential skills ‘Through traditional and modern food preservation techniques, you ean preserve your wild harvest—but you'll realize very fast that you can also create an infinite number of flavorful preserves ranging from delicious pickles, jams, canned condiments, syrups, and spice blends to liqueurs, country wines, and even traditional beers. And this is pretty much where fermentation came into the pieture for me: as one of many possible preser- vation techniques for the wild edibles I collected during the year. 1'm one of those lucky people who love to research and figure outhow to do things from books or online research, With the appearance of the Introduction 3wi internet in the mid-1990s, fermentation enthusiasts began posting tutorials about fermentation, Following online instructions, I made my first sauer kraut, which was a success. I was thrilled, to say the least, and to this day lacto-fermentation is one of my favorite food preservation techniques. Why? Because its one of the easiest and safest ways to preserve food: Nature provides everything for you. All you need are plants salt, and some- times water. Depending on where you live, you can make your own salt by dehydrating seawater or even using seawater for fermentation, Just don't do itwith seawater from Los Angeles! Way too much pollution. I usually go all the way to Oregon to collect pristine seawater ‘After I made my firse sauerkraut, my next project was a wild food kimchi, which ended up absolutely delicious. Iwas totally hooked. Exploring Wild Flavors Through Fermentation Since that frst sauerkraut, as you'll see in this book, I've made countless types of ferments using local wild edibles ranging from sauerkraut blends to kimchis, hot sauces, savory pastes, plant-based cheeses, dehydrated spices, and much more. Tweney years later I'm still amazed to find new uses for wild plants through fermentation. Fermentation has also been a great teacher. I've earned about patience and the ability of time to transform the original flavors into new ones. Itis truly fascinating, For example, some of the spicy pastes in this book are much better after many months of fermentation. My “wild” habanero hot sauce is way too spicy to consume in the beginning, but after two or three ‘months of fermentation at room temperature, itis heavenly, Notall the experiments I've done ended up delicious. While working on this book, I did make quite a few mistakes, but this was all part of my edu- cation, For example, I found out that fermenting stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) isan exercise in moderation. My first sauerkraut mixed with stinging nettle smelled like... cow pie. Ifyou're a country boy; you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. I could not get past the smell even to try it. But used in smaller quantities, stinging nettle is quite awesome. Ifyou embark on a journey to explore local plants, be safe—but you can be bold, too! Make sure you correctly identify the plants and that they're not toxic, but otherwise the sky is really the limit. I'm sure you'll experience a few failures in terms of flavors as you go along, but it’ all pare of the learning process, Every time I make a mistake, I learn something. What I rrafted Fermentationlike about fermentation isthe fact that the mistakes are related to taste, not food safecy. Fermentation isan extremely safe process. The delicious, unique flavors and recipes you can create will make any past failures completely worth it. Ifyou are a chef, ahome cook, ora foodie, exploring local plants through wild fermentation will allow you to create tasty condiments that are tuly yours and cannot be found anywhere else Fermentation isan ineredible tool ifyour quest isto create acuisine unique to you and your environment. How to Use This Book Fermentation has always been a big part of my research into the culinary uses of wild edibles, both yeast fungal) and lacto (bacterial) fermentation. You can research wild flavors through cooking and creating beverages ofall sorts, but laeto-fermentation is especially fascinating because, like wild yeas, the bacteria are readily available, and it not only isa remarkable pres ervation technique but also produces foodstuffs very good for your health, Sail, for me the real bonusis the way fermentation can transform flavors. Wild natural lavors can be quite phenomenal on their own, but through the process of lacto-fermentation they can be transformed and raised to new levels Although [live in Southern California, most of the plants featured and fermented in this book can be found pretty much anywhere in North America and in some parts of Europe. I'm sure the information here will be applicable in many other countries and regions as well. Aside from a couple of selections, [have deliberately omitted recipes that are so hyperlocal that they can’t be reproduced anywhere else. Ifyou live in North America, mostof the plants used are even considered invasive weeds—dandelion, curly dock, mustards, wild radish, and so on. ‘They are also extremely common. If you are interested in exploring your local terroir more deeply, you can easly find edible plants identification books featuring your region online. A simple online search for “New York wild edibles book” for instance, turned up three volumes. “Think of the recipes and methods as collections of ideas, concepts, and possibilities. I think most of them can be casily reproduced and adapted to your own environment, If you live in Colorado and decide to ferment beets in “forest floor” materials, it will never taste the same as my own forest floor ferment, because [live in California. You'll be dealing with a different environment and different herbs. That's the beauty ofit, In Arkansas you may try making Introduction6 wi a nut-and-plant-based fermented cheese using pecans and other local nuts and seeds to explore your own local flavors. Fermentation is a natural process, and from an artistic perspective you can go even deeper. As you'll seein this book, once you know the basics of, technique and food safety, you can bring nature itself into the process and start fermenting with wild plants, leaves, bark, wood—and even tree trunks Ir may seem extreme, but it really isn’t; the ingredients and vessels that you use will contribute flavor accents to the fermenting process. ‘he real idea—and fan—behind this book, though, isto use fermenta- tion as a medium to explore the true flavors of your environment, Not just what you can find in the store, but what nature ean provide you as well Foracook or chef, the creative possibilities offered by the simple process of lacto-fermentation are infinite, While I stick mostly to common wild edibles, realize that if you use something truly local and native that hasn't been used in fermentation before (like yucca flowers in my region), you're inventing a new flavor, which in itself isan integral part of a very exciting culinary journey. Thope you like the book and can't wait to see your fermented creations! A Quick Note to Fermenters Most of my ferments are made using regular jars. When I started my fer- ‘mentation journey many years ago, used commercial fermentation systems and traditional fermenting crocks, but over the years I slowly switched to using regular Mason-type jars and lids. If you're a purist, many of the ferments in this book can be done with commercial systems or kits, and I've even listed some that I recommend on page 21 Some of the ferments can be considered a bit unusual and are breaking the conventional rules, Ifyou are new to fermentation, advise you to start with very simple recipes, such as sauerkraut-type ferments, so you can build your confidence in the process and understand the basic principles. Once you'rearmed with knowledge about the process and food safety procedures, a lot of creativity becomes possible both in the ferments themselves and also in the methods you use, In this book you will find regular procedures but also some unconven- tional ones such as fermenting in a tree trunk, in leaves, with a smaller amount of salt than usual, oF without keeping the ingredients under the brine. I think the main difference berween regular fermentation and what do is the fact chat, in many instances, I work very closely with many of my ferments, shaking or stirring the contents to distribute acidicy during the rrafted Fermentationprocess, checking the pH, and so on. Personally, using regular Mason jars or other methods, I have never experienced any spoilage or mold issues and ve done a huge amount of ferment. But its really up to you. If you prefer to use commercial kits with air- Jock systems on top, most of the recipes would still work, though some say be challenging. ‘Most of the mistakes I've seen from people in the fermentation field are sgross errors such as ingredients floating over the brine, or leaving the ferment unattended for many days or weeks. IF you establish a close relationship with your creations and take care of them, it’ really hard to experience failures, Done properly, fermentation is probably the safest way to preserve food. Learn and understand the basic principles, have fun, and create! Use of Latin Names In this book, the firs time I name a plant or wild ingredient used, [will add the Latin botanical name, then T'll simply use the common name. “This isnot a planc identification book, but most of the plants used in the recipes, with a few exceptions, were chosen because they're common in North America and Europe, On Picking Wild Plants, or Foraging Like many of our human activities, foraging can be done for good or evil: it can help the environment or intensify sustainability issues. Over the years T've learned to streamline my activities so as to minimize my impact on nature. Irs been a learning curve with trials and errors, but these days T actually think foraging can be done in such a way that you help your local environment by removing non-native plants (pretty much 90 percent of what I pick) and harvesting sustainably or growing the native plants you need, As far as I can remember, at this point I've pretty much replanted all the plants T used in this book in much larger quantities than I'll ever use, ‘mostly on private lands owned by friends. You don't need to be a fanatic tree-hugger to see that our planet faces, real problems such as pollution, climate change (natural or not), human expansion, loss of natural habitat, species extinction, and much more. At this time in our evolution, we absolutely need to be part of the solution, and this responsibility even applies to the simple act of picking wild plants. ‘We must make sure that our picking wild plants for food, drinks, or medi cine is done carefully, with environmental health and integrity in mind. IntroductionPicking plants and berries for food or making drinks can connect us back to nature: It is a sacted link that, asa species, we all share, We are here because our ancestors had a very intimate relationship with nature, knew which plants to use for food or medicine, and in many instances knew how to sustainably interact with their wild environment, No matter where we live, ies part of our cultural DNA. personally don’t think the impulse to protect nature at all costs with a look-don't-touch mentalicy will work. Growing up in Belgium, I came by ry love for nature through a deep interaction with my wild surroundings. Ifyou truly love something, you will take care of it and make sure it is still there for generations to come When I was a kid, raising animals, growing food in our garden, and picking up wild berries, nuts, and plants weren't considered weird or spe cial they werea normal part of life. The knowledge was used by elders, who would pass it on to the next generation. In many modernized countries, this cycle of transferring knowledge has been lost. Very valuable and nutri- tious foods such as dandelion, mallow, and other plants are looked upon as “weeds” and TV commercials gladly promote the use of toxic chemicals to destroy them. ‘The people I've seen trashing the wilderness are the product of our current society. Ifyou don't know or understand the value of some- thing, you simply wor't care fort. So do ie the right way! Respect the environment, learn which plants are tare or illegal to pick, don't forage plants in protected areas (natural pre serves and the like), work with native plant nurseries, and educate yourself con how to grow native plants and remove non-natives. Ifyou take from nature, work with her and make sure you always plant sore than you!l ever take. That way future generations will have the same creative opportunities you presently have—or more. wi rrafted Fermentation