All posts about fermentation, aging, cooking, and everyday observations.
A field record of structural change, flavor transition, and drying control after anaerobic fermentation of Taiwanese Arabica whole cherries.
Inspired by Vietnam's Red Boat fish sauce, I'm attempting to make premium fish sauce using Taiwanese whitebait. Breaking down fish selection, onboard salting, and traditional fermentation techniques to explore Taiwan's fish sauce potential.
Using Taiwanese bird's eye chili, coarsely ground with salt, fermented in a vacuum bag at low temperature, then finished with homemade white wine vinegar. This isn't a Tabasco clone—it's using Tabasco's logic to make a local fermented hot sauce.
At the 50-hour mark, the bag shows clear signs of water release and gas buildup. This signals that fermentation has entered the liquid-dominant phase, and the operational focus needs to shift.
Fermentation isn't just about time and microbes—geometry itself is a control variable. Documenting why I flattened a vacuum-sealed bag of anaerobic coffee cherries at 36 hours, and what I observed.
This isn't a German dried sausage, nor a Taiwanese fresh sausage. It's a hunter's sausage that stops at the border: short-term drying, no curing salt, no fermentation—all just to prepare the structure and flavor.
Balancing structure with home-milled whole wheat and bread flour. In a cool environment, starting from levain, controlling hydration, not chasing big holes—just observing whether the structure holds and fermentation is on point.
Making Guanciale in Taiwan? The hardest part isn't curing or seasoning—it's buying the wrong cut. This guide explains what part Guanciale actually uses (pork jowl) and how to ask your butcher for it correctly.
Pig ears are rich in collagen, yet they rarely appear in traditional head cheese. This post explores the structural, process, and culinary reasons why pig ears were overlooked in meat jelly history, and how modern charcuterie techniques can tame them into a firm, non-jiggly terrine.
I bought a small drum coffee roaster from China that sits directly on a gas stove. It's motor-driven with adjustable speed, and delivers surprisingly even roasts. This time I blended Brazilian and Guatemalan beans, aiming for something close to Starbucks' medium roast style.
No salt, no sugar, no water — a whole cherry anaerobic fermentation at 18°C room temperature. This isn't about showing off techniques. It's an experiment in restraint and judgment.
Starting from invasive processing — on rigor mortis, ice killing, and the choices that actually hold up in practice
A sausage recipe inspired by German hunter's sausage, adapted for Taiwan's climate
A practical guide to avoid rancidity using paper bag aging — covering fat chemistry, curing principles, and step-by-step instructions
Carbonara is a classic Roman pasta — the real version uses only guanciale, egg yolk, and cheese. No cream.
Documenting my fourth attempt at European-style bread, analyzing the failures: not enough hydration, unhealthy yeast, folding too early
A 2kg sea bream × 7 days of aging × using every part — from aging to butchering to serving
The story behind this website and my thoughts on slow living