Norfolk Island green parrots are self-medicating with pepper tree bark and leaves, to rid themselves of parasites. But is there more to it? Birds are known to indulge in alcohol and take stimulants.
From kimchi to kombucha and sauerkraut to sourdough, many traditional food staples across cultures make use of fermentation. And these variations are reflected in your microbiome.
A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.
Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons
The ‘azyme controversy of 1054’ became so divisive it contributed to the schism of east and west. But it has a lot to tell us about how we understand bread.
Little-known documents and scientific detective work helped pinpoint the origin of lager.
In what form do you eat your annual share of the approximately 5 million tons of cocoa produced worldwide?
Tracey Kusiewicz/Foodie Photography/Moment via Getty Images
There’s a lot of interesting science behind the fermenting, roasting, grinding and melting that turns chocolate into the bars, bonbons and baked goods you know and love.
A new ‘protein roadmap’ produced by CSIRO reveals foods set to fill fridges by 2030 as health, environmental and ethical concerns push consumers away from meat.
Dairy cows in the Fraser Valley, B.C.
(Evan Bowness)
Technological changes on the horizon will likely disrupt the dairy industry as we know it — plans to mitigate the risks this transition poses to farmer livelihoods and animal welfare should start now.
A growing interest in fermented foods may direct people to a Bengali fermented rice dish.
(Shutterstock)
Sauerkraut, sourdough, beer…and chocolate? They’re all fermented foods that rely on microbes of various types to transform the flavor of their raw ingredients into something totally different.
Honey-alcohol fermentation experiment with chopped “moerwortel” plant additive, Glia prolifera.
Neil Rusch
Yeast is a single-celled organism that’s everywhere around us. Understanding how yeast works can help you make better bread and appreciate this old friend of humanity.
While the probiotics found in fermented foods might have health benefits for most, these foods could cause serious harm to the health of others.
A sample of the Eucalyptus giunnii plant, sometimes called a cider gum for its ability to produce an alcoholic drink without human intervention.
Shutterstock/Modest Things
Sap from one tree collected in hollows in the bark, and natural yeast fermented the liquid to an alcoholic drink used by Aboriginal people. Europeans called the tree a cider gum because of the taste.