Adding fermented foods to dishes is a simple way to both enhance their flavor and support your gut health.
Few know this better than David Zilber, a chef, fermentation specialist at bio-solutions company Novonesis, and the former director of fermentation at Noma, which was once named the World’s Best Restaurant.
“First of all, I think that they’re just flat-out delicious,” he told Bussiness Insider. And “when you have these ferments in your fridge at home, it becomes really easy to eat healthily on a regular basis.”
Fermented foods, such as yogurt, sourdough bread, and kombucha, are created when live bacteria are added to food or drinks like vegetables, milk, or tea. They often contain “good” microbes and are known to increase the diversity of the gut microbiome, a sign of a healthy gut that’s linked to health benefits all over the body.
“The diversity of the gut microbiome is directly linked to the diversity of your diet,” Zilber said.
While experts recommend aiming for 30 different plant foods a week to promote gut health, there’s evidence to suggest that fermented food increases microbiome diversity even more.
Zilber, who is based in Copenhagen but grew up in Toronto, made his name in the culinary world doing “the wildest forms of experimental fermentation” at Noma, which is due to close in late 2024.
But at home, he likes to keep it classic. “I’m kind of a bit straight and narrow with ferments. I like the flavor to shine,” he told Bussiness Insider. Plus, they’re the most versatile to cook with, he said.
Zilber shared the five go-to ferments he has “on constant rotation” to enhance his meals and tend to his microbiome.
Kimchi
Kimchi is a lacto-ferment, meaning it’s made using lactic acid-producing bacteria.
The main ingredient is napa cabbage, and it often contains other crunchy vegetables, and Korean chile flakes or gochujang paste.
The method typically involves soaking the leaves in salty water for around a day before the other ingredients are added. Then you leave it on the counter for a week or two, Zilber said.
He previously shared his easy at-home kimchi recipe with BI.
Sauerkraut
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Sauerkraut is also a fermented cabbage dish. Although you can get as creative with it as you like, Zilber doesn’t “get too crazy” because he makes two liters at a time, it lasts for a good few weeks, and he eats it most days.
He adds it to a wide range of dishes to make them more interesting, from lentils to frankfurter sausages.
Pickled jalapeños
Zilber is a fan of spicy food, so he always has pickled jalapeños in his fridge. He likes to sprinkle them on his tacos.
Pickled Kirby cucumbers
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Kirby cucumbers are the small, bumpy cucumbers we associate with pickles. Zilber always has pickled ones on hand because they’re easy to make and delicious.
In essence, all you need to do is soak the cucumbers in a salty brine for a week or two and you have pickles.
Miso
Miso is made from fermented soybeans, and it has a strong umami flavor.
Zilber always has it in his fridge and cooks with it to make his food taste even better.
