Edible Alchemy: The Incredible Power of Fearless Fermentation

After Alexis Goertz and her co-founder Natalie have been collecting various bacterial cultures from around the world, they now share their secret about health, the prevention of food waste and so much more.

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by Claudi, December 18, 2018

This article is presented by GreenMe Berlin and originally appeared here.

"You have to be careful not to push your perspectives on other people that just don’t know... Sustainability shouldn't be a guilt trip. It should be a lifestyle and a decison" 
Alexis Goertz

For this final episode in 2018, Claudi visited the wonderful Alexis Goertz, co-founder of the Edible Alchemy CoLaboratory (@ediblealchemy.co), co-founder of Mother Kombucha and quite a lot more.

Through her platform Edible Alchemy, Alexis and her co-founder Natalie share tons of value-packed content about healthy lifestyles, food skills and creative experimentation through fermentation.

And fermentation has so many superpowers. But we’re not just talking about our health, it can also play a huge role in preventing food waste and even has the potential to eliminate hunger and disease.

Unfortunately, like with so many truly incredible healing forces of mother nature, our Western culture has become largely out of touch with our microbial world. Instead we tend towards processed, packaged, pasteurized and fast food.

So thank god Alexis is here to guide us back to the sustainable secrets of fermentation, through colorful events, free webinars, lots of great content on the website - and, most importantly, super fun, interactive, hands-on fermentation workshops.

IN THIS PODCAST EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN ABOUT:

  • The secret forces of our brain-gut-connection 
  • Why fermentation can be a cutting edge tool for chefs and restaurant owners
  • The beauty of creating a passion business that’s kicked off by demand
  • The strong ties between our human cultures and fermented foods
  • A life changing year in Mozambique
  • Why teaching always empowers both the student and the teacher
  • Why times have never been better to start with fermentation
  • The importance of understanding other peoples’ position (put everything into perspective) ​
  • Why fermentation can be a hugely beneficial technique for developing countries
  • What are Maheo, Shambuku, Zobkis and Scobys
  • The secrets behind the pickled mangos in Kathmandu
  • The potential of survival in remote places through preservation of nutrients
  • Why it’s so important to have a good microbiome (and how to get to this stage)
  • The moment when Alexis knew that Berlin was ready for Edible Alchemy
  • What makes Berlin’s food culture so intriguing for fermenters
  • Why it’s so useful to meet and exchange with your competitors
  • The mystics behind food expiry dates
  • The biggest struggles in finding a kombucha brewery
  • The power we have to prevent food waste ​within our own neighborhoods
  • What makes the Edible Alchemy events & workshops so unique
  • What’s Alexis’ longterm plan

And much, much more! Okay, you see there’s so much to take out of this interview, so let's not waste time and dive right in, shall we? 

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