Review of Cultured: How Ancient Foods Can Feed Our Microbiome

I read this book through my local library's Libby app, as an audiobook.

It iterates between a clear-headed scientific explanation of how eating fermented foods is good for us, how they influence body, and the cultures of scientific foods, the author's experience in meeting and talking to various fermentation product producers across the world, and a few recipes. The format is highly tolerable, it might have gotten a bid tedious if it were just statements of facts and explanation of processes -- which some books I like have done -- but the addition of human element, of the author meeting the people who create these amazing food items and understanding what drives them stressed the human connection with food.

There were many occasions where I figured the author might go on a strange direction, or might get something wrong, but no actually all the facts were straight on, the analysis was on the spot, and there was no pseudo-scientific mumbo-jumbo or excessive claims of benefits of cultured food. It's a level-headed and interesting bit of writing that impressed me with the author's restraint.

I've begun consuming so many books in the subfield that several of the books I've read in the last few months were referenced directly or indirectly on different occasions.

The writing is crisp, clear, professional, the author is a journalist of the highest order. The narration was good.

9.2/10, I'll probably read or listen to this book again in the future.