Book cover of The Art of Fermentation

Book description

'...The high priest of fermentation theory' the Guardian

'Sandor Katz's teachings and writings on fermentation have changed lives around the world.' Dan Saladino, The Food Programme BBC

The bible for the D.I.Y set: detailed instructions for how to make your own sauerkraut, beer, yogurt and pretty much everything…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

3 authors picked The Art of Fermentation as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This is the bible of fermentation.

Once again, being a Polish cook, I felt I knew a fair bit about fermentation, yet this book opened my eyes to so many different traditions and processes. This is the kind of book everyone needs in their kitchens because if you are at all interested in fermenting (and you should be because it’s one of the best things you can do for your health), then you will come back to it again and again.

For me, Sally Fallon, author of Nourishing Traditions, is the mother of the traditional foods movement, and Sandor Katz is the father of fermentation.

The first book I discovered from Sandor was Wild Fermentation. It was a modest paperback, but it was packed with information on how to make ferments! It was so popular among traditional foods cooks that Sandor released a second edition with expanded information. Still, we were hungry for more, so Sandor wrote The Art of Fermentation.

This book is a New York Times Bestseller and a James Beard Foundation award winner. Sandor covers every…

Katz’s book may not be directly linked to cocktails in terms of providing recipes for drinks, but it has an encyclopedic level of information on how to extract ultimate flavours from ingredients through fermentation. This book has information for novices and practiced fermenters alike.

From sour tonic beverages and kombuchas to fermenting fruit and vegetables, this book will take your ingredient making skills to a level unmatched, even within the high-end cocktail bar world.

If you love The Art of Fermentation...

Book cover of December on 5C4

December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

Want books like The Art of Fermentation?

Our community of 13,000+ authors has personally recommended 14 books like The Art of Fermentation.

Browse books like The Art of Fermentation

Book cover of Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures
Book cover of Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype
Book cover of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking

Share your top 3 reads of 2026!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

181

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like The Art of Fermentation, you might also like...

Book cover of Sexy Selfie Nation: Standing Up for Yourself in Today's Toxic, Sexist Culture

Sexy Selfie Nation by Leora Tanenbaum,

The problem is not with the actions young women take but with the toxic, sexist conditions they are responding to.

Tanenbaum found, based on six years of interviews with young people ages 14-30, that young women are navigating a culture littered with gendered dress codes, revenge porn, and sexually explicit…

Book cover of In This Together: Connecting with Your Community to Combat the Climate Crisis

In This Together by Marianne E. Krasny,

In This Together explores how we can harness our social networks to make a real impact fighting the climate crisis. Against notions of the lone environmental crusader, Marianne E. Krasny shows us the power of "network climate action"—the idea that our own ordinary acts can influence and inspire those close…

5 book lists we think you will like!