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James Read

@jamesreadwrites.bsky.social

1.1K followers 340 following 110 posts

Writer (Of Cabbages and Kimchi), fermenter, founder of Kim Kong Kimchi, CFO of The Fermenters Guild My stuff -> https://jamesreadwriter.com/links

jamesreadwriter.com

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · 12d

Breakfast of champions!

James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · 12d

Fermentation-related hypothetical. How many overripe figs would it take to fail a breathalyser test? Context, if helpful, is over granola.

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · Sep 30

Names redacted, because I know AI is shoved at us to solve every problem lately, but please don't ask it for fermenting (or possibly any cooking) advice!

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · Sep 9

(the data tab is actually a bit more useful, if less sexy than the map)
(yes, I'm taking it as read that maps of ferment origins are sexy)

James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · Sep 9

I do love me some data - here's a map of over 600 traditional ferments across the world bokulich-lab.github.io/FermDB/#map

FermDB

bokulich-lab.github.io

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · Jul 22

My main concern here, though, would be keeping everything submerged below the brine. This becomes slightly less important once it's all fermented, but if you keep it for a while you'll get off-flavours from yeasts (often called 'kahm') on anything exposed (though underneath it's usually fine)

James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · Jul 22

I wouldn't personally go for a perpetual ferment - the reason being that you get different microbes emerging at different stages of fermentation (the early-fermentation ones can't take the acidity of late-fermentation) and so new veg wouldn't get the full process.

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · Jun 24

Thank you very much Franz! 😁

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · Jun 24

Looks like my book is discounted at the moment (<£15) www.hotukdeals.com/deals/of-cab...

Of Cabbages and Kimchi: Essential Guide to Fermented Foods £14.75 at Amazon | hotukdeals

www.hotukdeals.com

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · Jun 11

I made something silly with some juniper beer I fermented because I think the little berries look like comets (🔊)

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Reposted by James Read

Justin Stach @stach.uk · May 27

Very happy to have made some kimchi which got complements from our South Korean houseguest.

Standing on the shoulders of @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social and his fab book.

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · May 27

Thanks very much Justin, and great work on your clearly impressive batch! Spreading the good word of home-made kimchi one jar at a time...

James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · May 21

Here is a small part of said soy sauce

James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · May 21

So pleased to see trad soy sauce getting in-depth coverage from @koryodynasty.bsky.social (coincidentally the same morning I'm filtering some soy sauce I started 3 years ago) www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...

‘Without time, there is no flavour’: a South Korean grand master on the art of the perfect soy sauce

Ki Soon-do’s soy sauce has been served to Donald Trump and gained Unesco heritage protection. It is recognition that is 370 years in the making

www.theguardian.com

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · May 17

Yes little mouse! Douze points.

James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · May 17

Andy Serkis on the glockenspiel for Albania 👌

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · May 12

I think any application of AI should be measured against "magic 8 ball with Simpsons clips" tvsimulator.com/says/

TV Simulator Says

tvsimulator.com

James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · May 7

I'm on the Fermenters Guild podcast chatting about the koji process, crap bats and the ginger beer liminal space fermentersguild.podbean.com/e/james-read...

James Read on researching fermentation, the origins of kefir and the ginger bug liminal space | The Fermenters Guild Podcast

Robin is joined this week by James Read, author of Of Cabbages & Kimchi and founder of Kim Kong Kimchi, to discuss the process of writing a book about fermentation, the challenges of research and ...

fermentersguild.podbean.com

James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · May 1

I didn't think I'd sick in my mouth so early in the day, but here we are.

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · Mar 13

Context: taken from an AI-generated short story, which (how apt!) nicked the phrase from Nabokov.

James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · Mar 13

...and that is how I named my sad lit language model.

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · Mar 13

Yup! We planted one a year ago and it's already doubled in size (and that's in our front garden, with a soil mix that I assume is 50:50 old pots & building material)

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · Mar 10

Also, other versions of kimchi are well worthwhile - radish
winter kimchi (dongchimi) made without any chilli is an absolute favourite, and I've not seen it commercially available in the UK even though it's pretty easy to make.

James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · Mar 10

Thanks Nic. Yes, even if it does myself out of sales of the one I make, I'd say make your own. Here's my recipe

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James Read @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social · Feb 27

After 7 hours with a 6 month-old in A&E I like to unwind with a bowl of leftover chilli (thanks CJ) while watching a man make pistachios into earbuds v.redd.it/8wh7boll9kle1

From the ATBGE community on Reddit: Pistachio earbud

Explore this post and more from the ATBGE community

v.redd.it