The Noma Guide to Fermentation: Including koji, kombuchas, shoyus, misos, vinegars, garums, lacto-ferments, and black fruits and vegetables (Foundations of Flavor)

This is a classic guide to home fermentation that was the first I got when getting into fermentation. It's a great book and definitely worth having and even now it holds up as a solid starting point. It explains different types of fermentation, like lacto Vs koji based and gives some history and science explainers about different types of fermented product like miso or vinegar which are really helpful when getting started. Some of the applications really inspire you to try going beyond saurkraut and experimenting more as you might expect from the Michelin star authors. After fermenting many different projects and owning the book for some years, my main criticism is that it overcomplicates some things. The explainer on how to to build a fermentation chamber is quite unrealistic for most people. My fermenter is just a cool box with a thermostat and a heat pad dangled in. I think when I got started the very Michelin star professional approach emphasising tightly regulating every parameter caused quite a lot of failure as I could never quite replicate their system at home. For example koji/miso doesn't really need a humidity control system, it just needs a dampish muslin cloth and to be kept around 30c for a couple of days. Overall this is an attractive classic for fermentation guides and has some really unique ideas, I still go back and thumb through it every once in a while and would highly recommend it. There are better books offering a better step by step approach out there but this book does give you all the building blocks you need to understand how to start fermenting lots of different things.

Very easy to read and very informative. Very happy with this book.

Very in depth

I’ve done a lot of fermenting and preserving so I had a good amount of experience going into this book and I am still blown away at the amount of work gone into this and how scientific the approach is. Every recipe has incredibly detailed step-by-step instructions with pictures showing you whatever it is you’re working on should look like instead of just describing it like a lot of books do. I don’t think I’ll ever need another book on fermentation ever again. Get this book, it’s a ‘Buy For Life’ Thank you to René Redzepi, David Zilber and the entire Noma team for making this book a reality.

I feel quite bad for not writing this sooner.. Sorry. This is by far the most professionally written book on fermenting that I have ever read. My original review was inaccurate. I have now completely fallen head over heels for this book and I would urge the writers to come up with part 2, 3, 4... It gives an in-depth science and account of how to ferment and I treat it as my go to bible on all things fermented. I even check out their YouTube channel for further inspiration. Love this book...I cannot recommend it enough. I would give it 6 stars if I had more to give.

This book is amazing if you have the time and care to put into actually learning its practices. It is obviously by one of the top chefs in history so being so complicated is acceptable, but for the everyday culinary lover, I would say just watch a video on fermentation by Brad Leoni

Having read twice cover-to-cover to understand the science better (following on from Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat), and having made kimchi, other pickles, many cheeses, fermentation seems a good next step in cooking for me. The book is a fascinating read in itself, and so far, having achieved a successful ferment of asparagus, a rewarding one. If you like experimenting and want to go further, if you like creating ingredients as much as recipes, I'd recommend this lovely lovely book. Some equipment is needed, but several alternatives offered if the immediate suggestion is a bit too much in space or cost terms. No chance I'll get to Noma in the near future, so the next best thing is having a go at home. The resulting ferments lead to an array of recipes, or are good as they are.

It's a great book with all the steps on how ti start your fermentation journey. Admittedly I was expecting it to not be easy as I dont have the equipment or temperature control required, but it's a first step. I guess I'll be either converting a room or rent some place to do it, but it's just a hobby so might be a while till then.

Good quality print. Hard bound.

Love this book ! Worst the price. Detailed contents easy to reproduce step by step.

This is the single best foodie book on the planet right now. Forget the reviews saying it's complicated or the Book of Miso is somehow better. As we say here in Australia, that's a croque of ####. We came from a world where many would specialise in one ferment like beer, yoghurt or vinegar because it was dangerous to be a jack of all trades and a master of none. I thought I was adventurous making cheese and curing meat for my three day sourdough pizza. In the most concise way possible, René and David have taught us the food safety is the same across the board since it's the same pathogens and the same controls, the basics of getting a particular flavor profile are similar, and delivering a masterclass on modern flavours while they're at it. It's harder than driving a car but no book can change that. The concise information and next-level thinking in this book are astonishing. Get a dead-tree copy if you can. You'll be flicking back and forth and the pictures are much nicer. I have both. Also grab Koji Alchemy, the Japanese Culinary Associations Flavour Basics Book 2, Miso Natto Tempeh AOTF, Hachisu's Preserving the Japanese Way and Meredith Leigh's Ethical Butchery.

Super book !

Excelente libro sobre cocina de uno de los mejores escritores ingleses