2022 Superfoods!
Okay, we’re usually not one to hop on the whole “superfood” train, but when that train makes a stop at Fermentation Station?! Well, we’re definitely on board! According to a recent report from 1,173 Registered Dietician Nutritionists, fermented foods are atop the “superfood” list as we head into another year focused on building our immunity and digestive health.
Luckily for us here in Washington State, local fermented foods are abundant and delicious. Pangea Ferments is a Whatcom County business that crafts raw and naturally fermented products like kimchi, sauerkraut, and fermented beets. They’re the perfect topping for any breakfast, lunch, or dinner looking for a little extra flavor and probiotics.
In the Methow Valley, Willow Brook Farm crafts a line of specialty cultured foods including a variety of handcrafted krauts, cultured Chile sauce, black garlic, and fruit shrubs.
Midori Farm, located on the verdant north Olympic Peninsula, traditionally ferments sauerkrait and kimchi from their farm-grown produce.
Tempeh is a fermented food that doesn’t get enough love. Luckily, we’ve got the delicious Thoroughfare Tempeh in Bellingham making fresh, local tempeh from black eyed peas. It’s a plant-based protein that has a variety of culinary uses – plus, it’s just delicious!
Junebug Ferments is a Bow-based business that sources hyperlocally — every ingredient is grown from farms in Skagit Valley or the owner’s own garden. And that freshness comes through in the variety of products – delicious raw sauerkrauts, fermented mustards. hot sauces, Beet Kvass, and probiotic sodas!
Fermented food doesn’t stop at food, though. Those delightful probiotics make their way into all manner of fermented beverages, like the products of Bellingham-based Apple State Vinegar. They make shrub, aka apple cider vinegar infused with whole fruits, herbs, and spices – perfect for that Dry January mocktail! Bright and Sunny Ginger Beer brews probiotic-rich ginger beer, and often features seasonal local ingredients! Local legend Kombucha Town also offers a variety of kombuchas and living seltzers for all your fermented festivities.
In Tacoma, Komadre Kombucha brews up all-natural, raw, vegan, and live kombucha, and they’re proudly Latinx, Woman, BIPOC, LGBTQ+ company in leadership and through the ranks.
Over on Bainbridge Islad, Iggy’s Alive and Cultured “approaches fermentation as an art”, crafting honeybrew kombucha and beet kvass with traditional methods to ensure all their probiotic powerhouses are bursting with flavor (thanks to locally-sourced herbs and botanicals!).
If you’re feeling inspired to eat local superfoods this new year, check out some of these businesses and their amazing products!
