Pairing ferments

At the table, a ferment isn't a dish: it's a condiment. It does what a squeeze of lemon or a pinch of flaky salt does, which is why a spoonful is enough. Sauerkraut brings salt, sourness and a sulfur note underneath¹; kimchi is flavorful, sour and salty², and it's spicy too.

To choose, think about what the dish is missing. If it's rich, acid lightens it. If it's bland, salt and umami wake it up. If it's soft, a crunchy pickle gives it texture. If it's very spicy, a cultured dairy calms it down.

The oldest pairing is the easiest: something sour next to something fatty. Sauerkraut with sausages, ham hock or potatoes. Kimchi with seared pork belly or a fried egg. Curtido with pupusas, which in El Salvador almost never come without it. Pickles with a cheese and charcuterie board, or inside a burger.

It works the other way around too. A very sour dish wants something fatty or starchy beside it: kimchi with rice, fermented red onions with avocado, hot sauce with eggs.

If a ferment turns out too salty for the dish, rinse it before serving to take away some of the salt³.

Sour ferments don't get along with very tannic red wines: together, the wine tastes harsh. They're better with dry whites, sparkling wine, cider or beer, which bring their own acidity or bubbles. A dry hard cider with sauerkraut and sausages is a classic.

Kombucha is a good partner for spicy food and salads: it's tangy and slightly effervescent⁴. Cold water kefir works well as an aperitif. But neither is an alcohol-free drink. Homemade kombucha has at least trace amounts, and more the longer it ferments⁵. Kefir can contain alcohol too⁶: 13 water kefirs tested in Argentina had between 0.58 and 2.55%⁷. That's why they're not for young children or during pregnancy⁸. If someone at the table doesn't drink alcohol, tell them, and offer sparkling water with lemon.

• An autumn dinner. Braised lentils, sauerkraut with apple and caraway on the side and a dry hard cider. The sauerkraut plays the part of the splash of vinegar many people add to lentils.
• Tacos. Carnitas or beans, fermented red onions, tomatillo salsa verde and an ice-cold hibiscus kombucha.
• A savory breakfast. Day-old rice stir-fried with kimchi, a fried egg on top and a glass of milk kefir.
• A board to share. Two or three cheeses, charcuterie, dill pickles, giardiniera, labneh and sourdough bread. Give each ferment its own bowl and its own spoon.

In all of them, the ferment comes in small amounts. A spoonful per person is usually enough, and it's better to top up than to leave a big bowl out of the fridge.

• Take out what you'll eat. With a clean spoon, into a bowl. The jar goes straight back into the fridge.
• Leave the rest pressed down under its brine, so it gets less air⁹.
• Don't leave it out through the whole meal. Out of the fridge it keeps fermenting, turns very sour and goes past its best¹⁰. Cold, on the other hand, it stays fresh and crisp for months¹¹.
• Serve it cold or warm, never boiling if you want it to arrive alive. The guide to cooking with ferments explains why.

And write down what worked. Each batch's tasting in the app has room for your notes: "great with lentils" is information for the next jar too.