VN – 13 Feb, 2025

These three books are very close to my heart. They represent everything that Fermenting Cultures is about: the politics of food, community, and fermenting. Dorinda Hafner's 'A Taste of Africa' book followed her ground-breaking TV series in the 1990s. It was the first time I'd ever seen African food discussed on British TV and by an African woman.

'Decolonize Your Diet' by Luz Calvo and Catriona Rueda Esquibel uses ancestral knowledge to help communities of colour to reclaim healthy, traditional foods in the context of public health crises around food.

Finally, Sandor Katz's 'The Art of Fermentation'. Described as 'the bible of fermenting' by many. Katz documents ferments from across the globe - including a selection from Africa and the Caribbean. Katz's journey into the world of fermentation came as a response to his own HIV diagnosis.

These writers are some of my food heroes. Their books are more than about the recipes contained within them. They touch on essential issues about food as medicine, food as joy, food as culture, food as politics, and so much more.