Fermentation for Your Kitchen
Miso, shoyu, garum, and kimchi add a variety of flavors to your dishes. Here’s an introduction to the fermented products from Condito Ferments in Bolzano.
What is miso?
Miso is a fermented seasoning paste made with koji. A small amount adds more umami to soups, dressings, and marinades.
More About Miso and How to Use It
What is the difference between shoyu and garum?
Both are rich, flavorful sauces. Our versions of shoyu, for example, use lentils or rye; garum is made from fish, meat, bread, or cheese, depending on the variety. The ingredients and allergens vary.
Learn About Garum · Discover Shoyu and Jus
What goes well with kimchi?
This spicy fermented vegetable is perfect as a side dish with rice, in bowls, or in a sandwich. Its tang and spiciness provide a contrast to mild ingredients.
More About Fermented Vegetables
How do you store fermented foods?
Proper storage depends on the product and how it is prepared. Follow the instructions on the label and in the product description, use clean utensils, and reseal opened products carefully.
How Ingredients Become Ferments
Fermentation involves a variety of processes. Microorganisms and their enzymes alter the components of a food. This can result in new acidity, sweetness, aroma, and savory depth. The flavors that develop depend on the ingredients, cultures, salt, temperature, and aging.
Koji: the foundation of many seasoned foods
Koji is grain or another suitable base on which a selected fungal culture has been grown. Its enzymes break down starch and protein into smaller building blocks. This process produces sugars and amino acids, which contribute to the sweet and savory flavor. This traditional craft is the foundation of miso and traditionally brewed shoyu; our modern interpretations of garum also utilize koji.
Different Ways, Different Flavors
Miso is a paste, while shoyu is used as a liquid seasoning. In vegetable ferments, lactic acid bacteria convert sugar into acid. That is why kimchi and miso taste so different, even though both belong to the world of fermented foods.
Traditional Culinary Culture, New Ideas from Bolzano
Miso and shoyu are closely associated with Japanese cuisine. Kimchi is part of Korean culinary culture; garum was already a prized fish-based seasoning sauce in Roman cuisine. We’re interested in what these techniques can achieve with ingredients like lentils, rye, chickpeas, or bread. Origin and craftsmanship thus become the starting point for our own recipes.
Background: Miso and Shoyu at the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture · Kimjang at UNESCO · Garum at the Archaeological Park of Pompeii
