Wild Fermenting Agave
The sun rises on a hot and dry day in the Karoo. As the first rays of direct light begin to stretch over the hills, and the chill in the air begins to break, the landscape transforms. The blue tones of the agave plant stand proud against the burnished colours of the surrounding arid plains […]
Fermented Food's Health Benefits
Fermented foods and beverages are good for you, right? This is what we have been told, this is what I read, this is what I believe, this is my gut feeling. In my adult life, I have never really had a healthy gut with acid reflux being my main tormentor. I blame a dysfunctional gut […]
What is Water Kefir?
Water Kefir (pronounced ‘key-fur’) is one of a clutch of innovative ferments beginning to penetrate the mainstream market. With its promise of improved gut health linked to brain function, this reinvention of an ancient ferment is the new talk of the town
Distilling Stars of the Republic
Copper Republic, a local family-owned spirit company has been picking up international accolades for their artisanal spirit range. Leah van Deventer finds out about this up-and-coming distilling star. Bryce Kennard and his team at Copper Republic have quietly been tinkering with their spirit portfolio for some time now, and it’s starting to pay off, with […]
7 Fermented Recipes To Boost Your Immune System
Our immune system, our ability to remain healthy, functioning and living has always been targeted by viruses from the beginning of time. We inhabit a planet with a trillion species of microbes both friend and foe. Right now we are staring at a once-in-a-century virus which is attacking not only our immune system but […]
Karl's Bakehouse
In this episode, we chat with Karl Tessendorf, a writer, recipe developer, author and baker. He fell in love with bread 4 years ago and he’s been baking almost every week since. Karl exudes passion and his eyes light up when bread is on the agenda. He is determined to share his knowledge and open […]
Baking with Babette
I have been avidly baking bread for about 2 years now. Over this time I have done a great deal of experimentation with ingredients and process. It’s very easy to get caught up in the limitless potential variables and lose touch with the basics of baking great bread. Recently I got the chance to do […]
Booch Boost
We are back for Season 2 of the Fermented Podcast. We kick off with one of my personal favourite fermented products. Kombucha or ‘booch’ as it is affectionately called seems to be on many people’s lips figuratively and literally. A beverage that is shrouded in mystery but holds the promise of improved gut and therefore […]
What is Kombucha?
Of all the fermented foods and beverages kombucha is possibly the weirdest and most difficult to get your head around. The very idea of fermented tea seems a bridge too far for some reason. The sight of fermenting kombucha does nothing to help this. Look at it up close and tell me it doesn’t look […]
2019 Podcast Highlights
Hey all you Fermenters, this is Murray Slater, Fermented founder and podcast host. It has been an incredible first year for us at Fermented. We set out to create a platform to celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit of the fermenting pioneers while increasing awareness around the world of fermentation. Combining an online community, live pairing events […]
Leading the Pack
We had the great pleasure to sit down with Glen Bryant, founder and marketing genius behind Six Dogs Distillery, one of South Africa’s most successful Gin brands. . Their Gin offering pays homage to traditional style gin made with local endemic botanicals while subverting convention with their Blue Gin leading innovation in the Pinotage Stained […]
Beer v Wine
I somewhat crazily decided to invite two feisty Ladies to engage in a debate that has been going on since the dawn of fermentation and has divided continents and cultures. In the one corner I had Lucy Corne, otherwise known as the Brew Mistress. Author of two books on South African beer industry, founder of […]
The Queen of Kimchi
Che Gourmet, a business that started 4 years ago when owner and Queen of Kimchi Ché Upton returned from travelling the world. Ché Gourmet produces a range of Healthy , Fermented Food from around the world inspired by her travels. “my aim is to create delicious food that is so damn good for you”. Che […]
The Wonderful World of Kimchi
As you make your way down the rabbit hole of fermented foods you come across many methods for producing quick versions of traditionally fermented products. In fact, for most people the initial introduction to these foods is through a quick and easy bang-bang preparation method. Common examples include mustard, sauerkraut and gherkins. These are passable, […]
Why is my cheese yellow?
Cheese glorious cheese. One of the most universally loved fermented foods. In this podcast we are privilege to to talk to Kobus Mulder, a legend of cheese. One of the most respected cheesemakers and consultants globally. We also meet up with Raymond Siebrits from Klein River Cheese and we begin this podcast chatting to Luke […]
The Karoo Lioness
The blue agave plant takes eight years to mature in the heat of the semi arid desert. It looks like a cactus yet it’s a member of the lily family, protecting its juicy, fibrous interior with thorny spines. And at its heart are the delicate earthy, spicy and floral flavours that distillers seek to share […]
Bread of Heaven
Bread has always been the symbolism for sharing and community through many religions and cultures. It is argued that this fermented product was the very reason for civilization. Bread however in the last 50-70 years has changed. The perfectly sliced rectangle as we know it is not how bread should be and rather it was […]
Agave Spirit
The agave plant takes eight years to mature in the heat of the semi arid desert. It looks like a cactus yet it’s a member of the lily family, protecting its juicy, fibrous interior with thorny spines. And at its heart are the delicate earthy, spicy and floral flavours that distillers seek to share with […]
Craft Brewer's Pow Wow - Part 2
In Part two of the Craft Brewer’s Pow Wow we had the privilege to sit down with some of the most influential beer industry personalities locally and internationally. We caught up with The Brew Mistress, Lucy Corne and chatted about the African Beer Cup which she co-founded and directed. Next guest is . JC Styen […]
How a sourdough starter changed my life
I’m sure that sounds very dramatic. Sure, maybe it didn’t change my life in the same way as hearing Buddy Holly for the first time which kick-started the ongoing soundtrack which has been developing in my head for 25 years. It has, however, changed the way I view food, and with important implications. I’m not […]
Craft Brewer's Pow Wow - Part 1
Fermented brings you a two part podcast series on the recent Craft Brewers Pow Wow conference held in Cape Town. Aimed at commercial craft brewers, home brewers and beer enthusiasts, the Powwow exists to create a unified platform for quality, consistency and comradely in the craft beer industry. The conference includes presentations from local and international speakers, […]
Nectar of the Gods
Welcome to the Fermented Podcast where we celebrate the people behind the wonderful trans-formative world of fermentation in all its many forms. Fermented co founders, Murray Slater and Piet Gees,…
Who moved my Cheese?
We asked The Cultured Community, Why is cheese so delicious? What are your favourite types of cheese and why? Any local cheese varieties that we must try? Where to go for the best cheese in SA? Last week we welcomed Luke Williams to the community. Luke was the founder and driving passion behind the popular […]
In Celebration of Beer
Last Saturday South African celebrated National Beer Day (SANBeerDay). An amazing initiative started by community member Lucy Corne in 2017 as a way to celebrate beer and all the wonderful passionate folk that have been pushing our industry forward. This year saw over 100 events around the country and it really felt like the beer […]
What ya Fermenting?
Last week we asked The Cultured Community what fermenting projects they had on the go? Fermenting at home is a hobby to many and the community is about sharing of knowledge and experiences while also getting exposed to the professionals through meet-ups and demos. First off let’s explore what is Fermentation? The Noma Guide to […]