A shorter episode this time because we’ve used this word as a springboard for some super-interesting varied content! Let us know what you think to this format? We’d appreciate the feedback.

So first off, we interviewed Payal Shah for our latest issue of Probably Relevant - why, you ask? Well Payal is a self-styled ‘Shepherd of Microbes’ as well as the founder of Kobo Fermentary. Since channelling her passion and setting up a business in 2018, she has gained a steady following of first-time fermenters, enthusiasts, and lurkers within the small but fervent fermentation community. Starting off with posting content on social media took her into a successful stint with workshops for the curious. But post-pandemic and post-realisations have brought Payal to where she is now - creating and partaking in a community online to further fermentation knowledge and practices.

If this intro seems familiar, it’s because you’ve already read our feature on her. Thanks so much! What did you think of it? Before you launch into a volley of unstoppable compliments, we’ve got to give you the good news - we also did a podcast interview (that we will release in video form soon on our YouTube Channel) with Payal that was a barrel of laughs, fun and fermentation facts!

Now this brings us to the podcast episode ‘Ferment’. Here it is!

Shar started off by gushing about the Inuit. We talked about the very interesting ‘Kiviak’ - a special fermented preparation that is eaten on special days (birthdays, anniversaries) by Inuit. The dish comprises of simple ingredients - 300-400 little auk birds, a seal and some whale fat, and what we can only presume is some amazing upper body strength. It’s no wonder that these birds are the basis of the prep - they are the most numerous bird in the arctic region with the fast-growing "sea doves" existing in colonies that sometimes number in the millions! Shar recounted the interesting preparation process that can make some balk, but apparently all it makes Ragini do is become a God of Puns.

Shar fancied herself a socio-gastro researcher (that’s totally not a made-up term) and talk briefly about food sovereignty and how its dilution is a serious problem in places inhabited by Inuit.

We did want to know - would you try some Kiviak?

Ragini ran with things from here and talked about something interesting that has sprung up from an internet fad - ‘high meat’. She explained the ‘logic’ behind the trend that takes things as most fads do - to the extreme! Hey, if it gets you closer to your paleolithic ancestor, gets you high AND is on the internet - that’s probably the cross-section of virality right there. Love it!

Let us know what you thought of the interview with Payal for our newsletter and our section of the podcast episode Ferment! And go right here NEXT WEEK for the super-interesting continuation to the podcast episode where we grilled Payal (who held her own and then some!)

Enjoy!

Links of Interest:

High Meat

Kiviak

Aviaja Hauptmann, an Inuk microbiologist, discusses the role that Inuit fermentation has played and has the potential to play in the future.

Bonus link: 500-year-old Cashew Fruit from India

Episode Edited by: Ragini Singh Khushwaha

Music for the episode: Charita Arora