Adventures In Fermentation

Imagine a world without bread, butter or wine. Without soy sauce or chocolate. What if we also take away cheese, coffee and even antibiotics? This is what life without fermentation would be like.

Fermentation is so much more than a current health trend, it has shaped the world we live in, the bodies we inhabit, the staple foods we eat and even has the potential to shape our future. The truth is, when we ferment, we’re tapping into a collaboration thousands of years in the making between humans and a hidden microbial cosmos, one which we’re only just beginning to understand.

Adventures in Fermentation is the first book to lift the lid on the power of this ancient practice, exploring how it has been utilised in different cultures across the globe and how we can do the same. With irresistible wit and verve, chef and scientist Dr Johnny Drain illuminates the vast and unsung possibilities that microbes bring to the table, sharing stories and recipes that will entertain and delight readers as they embark on their own journey of discovery.

Hardcover, 320 pages, published by Penguin, 2025