Kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, keifir, yogurt, and even sourdough bread might be the new staples of a healthy diet. Of course they are not so cutting edge as most cultures have included fermented foods as part of their diets for thousands of years. In the past, fermentation helped to preserve foods before the advent of refrigeration because the beneficial microbes made the environment uninhabitable to harmful bacteria. Although this is no longer that important, fermented foods are an important component for a healthy gut and immune function. To discuss all things fermented, I’ll be chatting with one of my favorite people Cheryl Paswater.

Cheryl is the Chief Fermentationist and CEO of Contraband Ferments as well as a educator, artist, and writer. She has guest co-hosted on the radio show “Fuhmentaboudit!” (on Heritage Food Radio Network), co-organizes the NYC Fermentation Festival, and is a organizer of the NYC Ferments Meetup. She is a contributing writer for Edible Magazine as well as a contributor to the new book "Miso, Tempeh, Natto" and is currently working on her first book on fermentation due out sometime in the near-not so near future. You can find her teaching workshops and at festivals both regionally and internationally. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her partner, cat named Koji (which means "moldy rice") and all of her cultures as pets (aka: bacteria, yeast, and mold).

This is part of my “Wellness Wednesdays.” Each Wednesday I have a conversation with my favorite people in wellness so that you can learn about other health modalities such as massage, acupuncture, physical therapy and even dance therapy.

Wednesday March 3

3-3:30pm

Live on Instagram