Do you eat your mother? I mean that snot-like raft floating on the top of your komucha jar. I got the idea from a little snippet in Sandor Katz's new book, and I thought why not? I suppose it really should be raw if you want to ingest good bacteria, but I thought a little salt pepper and a quick sautee in good olive oil would be interesting. It was rather sour, but the oddest thing - the texture is really firm and chewy with a kind of muscular structure. Very much like a scallop, which it sort of resembles. OK a vegetarian scallop. I think if you soaked it to remove the sourness it would really work. Serve with a little kelp. I might be onto something here. I also cooked a big floppy red wine mother and used it as a wrap around chickpeas and lettuce. Another interesting idea, no?
Interesting is a good word.
ReplyDeleteOh my :)
ReplyDeleteOh, Come on you chickens. Be BRAVE, embrace the ferment!
ReplyDeleteI've eaten it and REALLY wanted to like it. It wasn't the texture, it was the flavor that put me off. I will give it a soak next time.
ReplyDeleteNot having tried it-- I wonder if it might be good with a spicy-sweet chutney of some sort. I'll have to approach my brewing friend about this.
ReplyDeletechickpeas or beans in a salady thing, with fish in a cevichey thing ... something that could work with sour. It isn't the prettiest thing on the block, but bless your little head for being brave and eating it!!!
ReplyDeletei bet if you soak the scoby in milk and saute it with garlic and seaweed salt in ghee, it might tastes pretty close. i'm not sure i'm brave enough to try it.
ReplyDeletealso i would grow the scoby intended to be eaten in just sugar water, maybe you could add the seaweed in at the time of ferment too. might add to the flavor, not sure, just thinking out loud.
ReplyDeleteThis is the kind of post that just makes me love your blog so much. You are my hero Ken!
ReplyDeleteI know it's an oldie, but this is the post that attracted me to your blog. and I LOVE it!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if you've further experimented with this idea? The "scallop" comparison makes me want to stamp mine into disks, marinate in something to chill out the acid--the milk suggestion might work--then dust in seasoned flour and pan fry them in some olive oil or ghee.
Cheers!