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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · 16d

Names redacted, because I know AI is shoved at us to solve every problem lately, but please don't ask it for fermenting (or possibly any cooking) advice!

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · Sep 9

(the data tab is actually a bit more useful, if less sexy than the map)
(yes, I'm taking it as read that maps of ferment origins are sexy)

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · Sep 9

I do love me some data - here's a map of over 600 traditional ferments across the world bokulich-lab.github.io/FermDB/#map

FermDB

bokulich-lab.github.io

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · Jul 22

My main concern here, though, would be keeping everything submerged below the brine. This becomes slightly less important once it's all fermented, but if you keep it for a while you'll get off-flavours from yeasts (often called 'kahm') on anything exposed (though underneath it's usually fine)

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · Jul 22

I wouldn't personally go for a perpetual ferment - the reason being that you get different microbes emerging at different stages of fermentation (the early-fermentation ones can't take the acidity of late-fermentation) and so new veg wouldn't get the full process.

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · Jun 24

Thank you very much Franz! 😁

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · Jun 24

Looks like my book is discounted at the moment (<£15) www.hotukdeals.com/deals/of-cab...

Of Cabbages and Kimchi: Essential Guide to Fermented Foods £14.75 at Amazon | hotukdeals

www.hotukdeals.com

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · Jun 11

I made something silly with some juniper beer I fermented because I think the little berries look like comets (🔊)

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Reposted by James Read

Justin Stach @stach.uk · May 27

Very happy to have made some kimchi which got complements from our South Korean houseguest.

Standing on the shoulders of @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social and his fab book.

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · May 27

Thanks very much Justin, and great work on your clearly impressive batch! Spreading the good word of home-made kimchi one jar at a time...

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · May 21

Here is a small part of said soy sauce

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · May 21

So pleased to see trad soy sauce getting in-depth coverage from @koryodynasty.bsky.social (coincidentally the same morning I'm filtering some soy sauce I started 3 years ago) www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...

‘Without time, there is no flavour’: a South Korean grand master on the art of the perfect soy sauce

Ki Soon-do’s soy sauce has been served to Donald Trump and gained Unesco heritage protection. It is recognition that is 370 years in the making

www.theguardian.com

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · May 17

Yes little mouse! Douze points.

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · May 17

Andy Serkis on the glockenspiel for Albania 👌

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · May 12

I think any application of AI should be measured against "magic 8 ball with Simpsons clips" tvsimulator.com/says/

TV Simulator Says

tvsimulator.com

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · May 7

I'm on the Fermenters Guild podcast chatting about the koji process, crap bats and the ginger beer liminal space fermentersguild.podbean.com/e/james-read...

James Read on researching fermentation, the origins of kefir and the ginger bug liminal space | The Fermenters Guild Podcast

Robin is joined this week by James Read, author of Of Cabbages & Kimchi and founder of Kim Kong Kimchi, to discuss the process of writing a book about fermentation, the challenges of research and ...

fermentersguild.podbean.com

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · May 1

I didn't think I'd sick in my mouth so early in the day, but here we are.

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · Mar 13

Context: taken from an AI-generated short story, which (how apt!) nicked the phrase from Nabokov.

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · Mar 13

...and that is how I named my sad lit language model.

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · Mar 13

Yup! We planted one a year ago and it's already doubled in size (and that's in our front garden, with a soil mix that I assume is 50:50 old pots & building material)

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · Mar 10

Also, other versions of kimchi are well worthwhile - radish
winter kimchi (dongchimi) made without any chilli is an absolute favourite, and I've not seen it commercially available in the UK even though it's pretty easy to make.

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · Mar 10

Thanks Nic. Yes, even if it does myself out of sales of the one I make, I'd say make your own. Here's my recipe

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · Feb 27

After 7 hours with a 6 month-old in A&E I like to unwind with a bowl of leftover chilli (thanks CJ) while watching a man make pistachios into earbuds v.redd.it/8wh7boll9kle1

From the ATBGE community on Reddit: Pistachio earbud

Explore this post and more from the ATBGE community

v.redd.it

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · Feb 15

It's a bold defence for a woman who claims her Jesus statue wept blood www.theguardian.com/world/2025/f...

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · Feb 13

Thanks! That's a follow. Her panel talk at BL Food Season a couple of years back was great.

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