This project came out of work through Stanford’s d.school Creativity in Research Scholars (CIRS) class. Working with fermented foods and health, I was interested in understanding the main consumer hesitations when it comes to trying or making fermented foods. After speaking with many people, both in and out of the “fermentation world”, two main things stood out:

1. Safety: being unfamilar with how microbes transform food makes consuming and making fermented foods seem like a safety gamble. 
2. Flavor: for those not used to eating or making fermented foods, not knowing what to flavor profiles to expect when consuming fermented foods made them hesitant to try

The zine is designed to give a general understanding of how fermentation works, along with a simplified fermentation flavor wheel that includes words to describe the majority of fermented foods. The goal is to use the zine and flavor wheel as a guide to trying fermented foods, allowing for a deeper engagement and mindful consumption of fermented foods.

(Printed by Tiny Splendor in Berkeley, CA)