James Read
@jamesreadwrites.bsky.social
1.1K followers 340 following 110 posts
Writer (Of Cabbages and Kimchi), fermenter, founder of Kim Kong Kimchi, CFO of The Fermenters Guild My stuff -> https://jamesreadwriter.com/links
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jamesreadwrites.bsky.social
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!
jamesreadwrites.bsky.social
(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)
jamesreadwrites.bsky.social
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
jamesreadwrites.bsky.social
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)
jamesreadwrites.bsky.social
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.
jamesreadwrites.bsky.social
Thank you very much Franz! 😁
jamesreadwrites.bsky.social
I made something silly with some juniper beer I fermented because I think the little berries look like comets (🔊)
Reposted by James Read
stach.uk
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.
jamesreadwrites.bsky.social
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...
jamesreadwrites.bsky.social
Here is a small part of said soy sauce
jamesreadwrites.bsky.social
Yes little mouse! Douze points.
jamesreadwrites.bsky.social
Andy Serkis on the glockenspiel for Albania 👌
jamesreadwrites.bsky.social
I think any application of AI should be measured against "magic 8 ball with Simpsons clips" tvsimulator.com/says/
TV Simulator Says
tvsimulator.com
jamesreadwrites.bsky.social
I didn't think I'd sick in my mouth so early in the day, but here we are.
jamesreadwrites.bsky.social
Context: taken from an AI-generated short story, which (how apt!) nicked the phrase from Nabokov.
jamesreadwrites.bsky.social
...and that is how I named my sad lit language model.
jamesreadwrites.bsky.social
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)
jamesreadwrites.bsky.social
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.
jamesreadwrites.bsky.social
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
jamesreadwrites.bsky.social
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
jamesreadwrites.bsky.social
It's a bold defence for a woman who claims her Jesus statue wept blood www.theguardian.com/world/2025/f...
jamesreadwrites.bsky.social
Thanks! That's a follow. Her panel talk at BL Food Season a couple of years back was great.