Our food is alive - or can be. And it's often better for us if it is alive, as the popular rise of probiotics has shown. Science is now discovering that the human microbiome is an amazing place, and that each human being is a world unto itself for the creatures that inhabit it. Even if the little critters do tell us how to think sometimes (yes, that's a real thing).
Christopher and Kristen Shockey, fermentistas extraordinaire, sat down with us on a hot summer afternoon in southern Oregon. We had a delightful conversation about why they chose to settle where they did, why they choose to do what they do, and how fermented foods can bring never-ending diversity to our palates and our lives. Listening to their adventures in fermentation was like a trip around the world, without ever leaving the picnic table in the back yard. Judging from the vinegar and cider experiments in their workroom, their farm itself is a flavor bonanza as well.
They also discuss ways to expand the microbiotic universe within us, how it can be a very tasty endeavor, and why eating millions of creatures alive is a good thing (Well, they didn't say exactly that, but we're making broad sweeps here, as the "Dead Pickle" title should tell you). Ingesting millions of bacteria sounds weird, but if you have ever had a pickle, a glass of beer, a piece of bread, a slice of cheese, or a piece of chocolate, you probably can relate, whether or not you knew it. So drink more wine and beer. It's good for you, and expands your cultural horizons. Or so we choose to believe.