‘Healthy’ soft drinks and more: the gastronomic project that will surprise you with its fermented input products

Ferments have been used as a form of food preservation throughout history. Its peculiar flavor has become an ally of the most advanced kitchens. In addition, thanks to its nutritional benefits, for a few years they have been consumed in our country. In this note we tell you about The Itinerant Gastronomic Project, which has decided to demonstrate that ferments go well both in salty and sweet.

One of the founders Paula Arbulu explains that this project was born in the midst of a pandemic, in October 2020, however, the idea had already been working on a long time ago. “As creative souls we were looking for a space where we could create without limits and without following a fixed structure, focused on fermentation but always faithful to our cooking side. The idea was to create a pantry of infinite products and umami, so that people can exploit their creative side and that we can have our own pantry to continue cooking and sharing. An itinerant gastronomic project, which we call O. And this is because it represents a circle that, in addition to being infinite, represents movement, constant change and adaptability, like life itself”Add.

The kitchen specialist indicates that they began to ferment almost like playing different foods and they realized that there was a lot of potential in this culinary art. “Not only because of the flavor, textures, colors and aromas that we developed, but also because we felt that as a new generation of cooks we had to look outside the box a bit.”, he clarifies.

“Fermenting allowed us to preserve and keep food alive for longer, respect seasons, use inputs at their best. We are aware that the look towards gastronomy needs a new approach, supplies are scarce, the sea is in danger and in such a fast-paced world we believe that preserving is a necessary act. Fermenting also allows us to use the entire input and make use of the ‘wasting’ that is often discarded”, reflects Arbulu.

good fermentation

To achieve a good result, that is to say that the fermentation process must take into account many factors. As indicated by O Proyecto Gastronómico Itinerante, some key points are order, cleanliness, dedication, perseverance and good energy, but it should also be highlighted “the importance of input quality”.

“The fresher and more natural they are, the better. We are lucky to have peasant agro-fairs where we buy absolutely everything we process. It is a fair luxury, there are beautiful inputs, the deal is direct with the farmers. Quality, variety and fair treatment“, Add.

ferments in the cooked

“The ferments are much more common than we imagine and I would think that we all consume them even without knowing it. Coffee, chocolate, cheese, yogurt, bread, wine, all are fermented foods and are in most people’s daily diets.”, adds Paula Arbulu.

“The lack of information about the processes of our food is what makes us believe that they are strong and we do not like them, when in fact we consume them daily. With this I think we understand that the strong flavor is something very relative”, indicates.

For those who are just entering the world of ferments, O Itinerant Gastronomic Project has some advice:

1. You may like something spicier or something milder with a vegetable flavor, my advice is to try, if you don’t try you don’t know, you might be surprised how much you like the taste. For me ferments highlight and round off any meal, they are alive and it is something that is felt.
2. We consume them every day, the variety of products that we have allow us to play with all meals. The lactoferments are very fresh and go well with any type of food, it is like having a complete salad already ready, endless spicy sauces, preserves that go well with all the dishes of a day to day. We use them as a base for cooking, everything alive and within reach to play with creativity.
3. Lactic ferments, such as sauerkraut or kimchi, are relatively short processes, they take about a month to ferment before going on sale, and they are constantly evolving. Vinegars take longer, approximately 6 – 8 months before being ready and the longer ferments, such as misos and sillaos, ferment between 1 year or 1.5 years before being harvested.

Their products:

“The quality of a ferment determines the final result and its flavor. While most converse in their own lactic acid, it is a very pleasant and subtle acid. The textures and aromas that are found allow you to play and define where to lean when consuming them”, he complements.

Currently, it has several fermented products on its menu that you can add to your meals for potential nutritional value. They have a whole garlic preserve called Kratiem Dong that “They are a dream.” In addition, they have Sauerkarrots that are like a carrot sauerkraut, the Furikake that is an umami powder and that they created from fermented vegetables and fruits, which were then dehydrated mixed with nori seaweed, sesame seeds and cashews are a best seller.

And one of his great creations is his Soda Salvaje®, which is a natural and alive soft drink with its own fermentation gas.

For those who love ferments, the Peruvian brand has created a product called kimchO. “It is our version of Korean kimchi made with pure Peruvian ingredients. We make it with Chinese cabbage, Chinese garlic, loche squash and a fermented paste of Peruvian chili peppers that we ferment for several months apart. It is a delight, ”he adds.

Something important to mention is that they have some fixed batches, other rotating batches and they also have unique batches. The longer ferments will go on sale next year.

• Starters: Ají Digno S/.25, Sauerkarrots S/.23, KimchO S/.27, Sauerkraut OS/.22 and Garlic S/.15
• Preserves: Kratiem Dong S/.27, Lemons in Salt S/.14, Kumquats in Salt S/.15.
• Umami: Furikake S/.35
• Vinegars: Raspberries S/.18, Pineapple S/.18, Artisanal white wine S/.20
• Limited Edition: Hot Sauce S/.20 and Sauerkraut Chipotle S/.25
• Oven: ChocoHaze 4u S/.27 and Cookies with 45% and 70% Peruvian cocoa + hazelnuts

Retail:

You can place your orders at @oproyectogastronomicoitinerante or by rappi