“Our mission is to explore and share the art of fermentation through hands-on learning and collaboration,” Cecilia Grant said, “All these people who have a shared interest—now they’re going to have the shared expertise.” Grant, a Berkeley High School freshman, is the club founder and president of BHS’s Fermentation Station Nation club which began this past school year.
Fermenting is the art of creating a chemical change within certain foods using yeast. The role of yeast or bacteria is to produce bubbles, heat, or process sugars into alcohol. Fermenting is a task that is used frequently to create some of the most popular foods in countries such as Japan, Egypt, Russia, and more recently, the United States.
“I realized how many of the foods I eat are fermented, and it’s just really intriguing to explore the science of that (process),” Grant said, “There’s science in everything, especially in the making of food.”
Grant acknowledged the cultural and scientific significance of fermenting foods and wants to integrate it into the BHS community. “We make a lot of pickles and kombucha,” Grant said, “I just hope that everyone in the club can learn more about the scientific process and how it ties into (different) cultures, because lots of (fermented) foods are very cultural and it’s important to recognize that.”
Grant, along with BHS sophomore Emma Candler, the club’s co-founder and vice president, strive to make the club interesting and inventive. They spend meetings not only discussing the process of fermenting and educating members on the history and health benefits of it, but they also experiment fermenting specific foods.
Candler shares the same inclination for fermenting and helping other students learn how to successfully execute it. “Me and (Cecilia) both are really big pickle fans, as well as (fans of) kombucha and other fermented items,” Candler said, “I know that (fermenting) is really good for you and really healthy, and there’s just so many different types of foods you can make with fermenting.”
Along with assisting during the fermenting portion of the club, Candler also focuses on collaboration with other clubs and groups in the Bay Area that celebrate fermenting. Candler contributes to publicity for the club in order to expand the club’s outreach. “Our job is organizing it all, but we’re still learning with everyone and trying different things out and experimenting,” Candler said, “We’re gonna try to work with other workshops in the Bay Area, and it’s gonna (hopefully) help us have more resources.”
Students involved in this club speak highly of its organization, creativity, and hands-on learning techniques. “I didn’t know a lot about fermentation when I joined (and) I definitely wanted to learn more about it,” Francesca Bertolini, a BHS freshman as well as treasurer of the club said, “It definitely has given me a sense of community at the school because you get to meet new people who share the same interests.”
Bertolini also gave her perspective on what she believes the club activities offer to students interested in fermentation and broadening their food horizons. “I’d definitely recommend this club to anyone who’s interested in foods…and (who) likes to experiment with different tastes,” Bertolini said.
By incorporating hands-on learning, historical and culture significance education of foods you normally wouldn’t think twice about, the club not only expands taste buds, but also increases knowledge of one of the oldest processes of creating food globally.