50 ferment recipes

Sourdough silver dollar hotcakes with an overnight fermented batter, baking soda for lift, and a tangy flavor no regular pancake can match. Makes 30 mini pancakes.

Spicy Korean kimchi: napa cabbage salt-brined overnight then fermented two days with garlic, ginger, green chilies, and scallions. A simplified home kimchi you can start tonight.

Vietnamese Buddhist peanut dipping sauce made with tuong (fermented soybean paste), roasted peanuts, and sugar. A 10-minute vegan condiment for spring rolls and fresh vegetables.

Cantonese steamed shrimp in shells with fermented black beans, garlic, and oyster sauce. This classic dim sum dish is tender, flavorful, and ready in just 30 minutes.

Ma-po tofu, silky bean curd and ground pork simmered in a fiery sauce of fermented chili and ginger, thickened glossy and finished with sesame oil and scallion. The Sichuan classic, hot, spicy and tender.

Watercress salad with a Chinese-style bean curd cheese and tahini dressing. Blanched watercress tossed in a creamy, savory fermented bean curd dressing with chili flakes and lemon.

Chinese clay pot crab stir-fried with fermented black beans, garlic, ginger, and scallions in rice wine and chicken stock. A dramatic, fragrant shellfish dish ready in 25 minutes.

5-minute Asian black bean marinade with fermented bean sauce, sesame oil, dry sherry, and mustard. Bold umami flavor for grilled chicken, lamb, or barbecue that transforms any protein.

Cucumber kimchi fermented at room temperature for 3 days with garlic, scallions, grated carrot, red pepper flakes, and cayenne. A crunchy, spicy Korean pickle you can make at home.

Traditional fermented beet kvass, the tangy ruby-red base for authentic borscht. Just beets, water, and a slice of bread create this Old World staple in 4 to 5 days.

Liquamen, an ancient Roman fish sauce made from anchovies, oregano, salt, and grape juice. A quick stovetop recreation of the fermented condiment that flavored nearly every dish in ancient Rome.

Korean dongchimi made with turnip, scallion, ginger, and garlic in a light salt brine. A refreshing, mild water kimchi that ferments at room temperature and keeps for a week in the fridge.

Shucked oysters topped with fermented black beans and a savory sauce of soy, sesame oil, vinegar, and chicken broth, steamed for just 2 to 3 minutes. An elegant Chinese appetizer that's quick and impressive.

Stuffed eggplant pickles filled with minced cabbage, red bell pepper, garlic, and dill, tied with softened celery ribs and fermented in vinegar brine. A traditional Middle Eastern style pickle ready in 2 to 3 weeks.

Friendship brandied fruit is a perpetual fermented fruit compote built over months by adding peaches, pineapple, cherries, sugar, and brandy to a starter. Spoon over ice cream, pound cake, or yogurt for an instant dessert.

Easy kimchi for first-timers: salted napa cabbage fermented with green onion, garlic, ginger, and dried chile in a simple brine. No fish sauce, no special paste. Let it bubble on the counter, then chill the funky, sour, crunchy result.