Make This the Year for Eating Fermented Foods and Why We May Need Them

The science is finally catching up with how fermented foods worked their way into various cultures as a side dish, and we need to know about it, too.

Is there a reason that Japanese meals often contain pickles? I’ve always found it a curious condiment, but I’ve also wondered about the Korean condiment kimchi, and now I’m beginning to see the light. Why do so many German dishes contain vinegar? And what about turmeric in Indian cuisine? Well, scientists have begun to wonder, too, and they’ve hit upon the holy grail of health—our stomachs need these foods to keep us healthy.

It’s not simply culture because our bodies contain millions of bacteria, fungi, and other yet-unknown living elements that work hard to help us stay healthy. Yes, vinegar and fermented foods are one way, so the Japanese were absolutely right to use pickles as a side dish.

Can we write more on this topic? Yes, we can, and we need to constantly explore how to keep ourselves healthy, not simply with medicines but with foods that are required by our wonderful gut-brain axis that protects our physical and mental health.

I remember my mother making sure we had sauerkraut at least once a week, and I’d even sneak a bit of it raw because I liked the taste. Additionally, our butcher made…