Episode 8 – Ariana Mullins on Fermented Foods, Drinks, and Living Abroad

Ariana Mullins of AndHereWeAre.net

Today I have with me special guest Ariana Mullins from the blog AndHereWeAre.net.

She’s an American writer, cook, explorer and photographer and shares her family’s stories of challenge and adventure as expats in Europe, as well as inspiration for living a simple and meaningful life. She has a passion for restoring lost kitchen arts and loves to share her experiences in foraging, butchery, home brewing and anything new she can get her hands on in her English kitchen.

I came across her blog from Pinterest with her delicious Fermented Blackberry Soda recipe. She’s quite an experimenter in the kitchen and also has a grain-free cookbook out now called “And Here We Are in the Kitchen“.

Not only do we talk about fermented foods & drinks like fermented soda, wine, and hard cider but also her experiences growing up in the Philippines with her family and foraging for wild edibles in England.  She’s traveled quite a bit and has also lived in Germany and currently lives in England, and is moving soon to Spain with her husband and daughter.

She takes gorgeous pictures of food that will leave you hungry and encourages people to try foods at least 3 times before you write them off, which I think is a great philosophy.

TOPICS INCLUDED IN TODAY’S FERMENTATION PODCAST:

• Reviving lost practices in kitchen arts
• Some traditional Philippine ferments like a fermented fish dish or condiment called “ginamos” that was taken to the beach and eaten with bananas, fermented vinegar from coconut sap, and also an alcoholic coconut sap wine or palm wine called “tuba” (tubâ), and others like bagoong and fermented sausage
• Fermenting beverages with sugar vs honey and if it takes longer
• The process of making fermented blackberry soda from either fresh or frozen blackberries and either using sauerkraut juice, yogurt whey, kefir whey, or ginger bug as a starter as well as fermentation vessels for soda
• The process of making wines from things like elderberries and flowers and how wine doesn’t necessarily mean grapes
• Ariana goes through all the wines she’s making and what’s on her fermenting shelf
• Using wild fermentation for making wine rather than just using commercial yeast
• Other types of wine made with plums and wild yeast that can have a cidery taste
• Using commercial champagne or cider yeast and which she prefers
• The process of making hard cider with several different types of yeasts including wild yeasts
• How Ariana has been fermenting for the last 20 years and got into homebrewing the past few years
• Getting started fermenting and how to get over your fear of it with knowledge or just taking a class
• Some of the things she’s fermented like kombucha, yogurt, kefir, sourdough breads, fruit ferments like chutneys and recently cured meats
• Her food philosophy from being vegan to moving towards paleo and just loving food in general
• The dogma, rules, and the loss of joy that can come from food communities and how food should be a joyful ritual to share with your family and community
• What people or family might think of you for being into fermentation or making fermented products and how people are starting become very curious and interested in it
• Foraging wild edibles like hazelnuts, stinging nettles, plums, apples, blackberries, sloes, rose hips, and how they can add interesting flavors into your diet
• Living in other areas, culture shock, and fitting into a new community
• Ariana’s cookbook “And Here We Are In the Kitchen” and grain free living
• What she’s looking forward to experimenting in fermentation with in the future including cured meats
• Trying exotic fruits like jackfruit and durian and the philosophy of trying a food at least 3 times before you write it off
• Getting started in fermentation and how it’s really just about doing it

LINKS FOR TODAY’S SHOW:

• Subscribe to Email (to get updates on blogs & new shows)
• Subscribe on iTunes
• Subscribe on Stitcher Radio (Android, iPhone, etc.)
• Like us on Facebook
• Follow us on Twitter
• Follow our boards on Pinterest
• Ariana’s blog AndHereWeAre.net
• Ariana’s Fermented Blackberry Soda Recipe
• And Here We Are in the Kitchen Cookbook

I’d love to hear your thoughts on today’s show so be sure to comment below or if you have an idea for the show, email me at paul at fermentationpodcast.com or just click on the Contact button on top of this page and fill out the form. I look forward to hearing from you!

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