Pickles
Brian Summers—Getty Images/First Light 醬菜 
Pop quiz: What do pickles, vinegar, tempeh, chocolate and wine have in common? Yes, they’re all delicious—and they’re all fermented. And that means they all have major health perks.
Cultures around the world have enjoyed fermented foods for millennia; they devour kimchi in Korea, sauerkraut in Germany and cheese—everywhere. Now fermenting is appealing to consumers eager to return to naturally healthy ways of eating. Top chefs are embracing it too; Momofuku’s David Chang has a culinary lab dedicated to food science, including fermentation, which he calls the “machinery of flavor.” Fermentation is what happens “when rotten goes right,” Chang says. It may sound kind of gross, but fermentation involves “good” micro-organisms breaking down or partially digesting food, which makes nutrients easier for your body to absorb. Research suggests that fermented foods can also strengthen immunity.
Fermentation helps extend shelf life (think how much longer a block of Cheddar lasts than a carton of milk) and can make food safer, since foodborne pathogens are less likely to survive in the acidic environment fermentation creates.
You’re probably already enjoying many of these foods. Here are some of my favorites.
Miso
This paste, made from fermented soybeans, is the essential ingredient in the Japanese soup of the same name. The darker the miso, the longer it has been fermented, and the saltier and stronger the flavor will be. I keep a container in my fridge and use it in marinades and glazes for chicken or fish. I also make salad dressing out of it: I mix 1 tablespoon of miso with a little chopped garlic and ginger, 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar and 1 or 2 teaspoons of honey. Then I whisk in 2 to 4 tablespoons of a neutral oil, like grapeseed.
Sourdough bread
It’s lower on the glycemic index, so it’s less likely to wreak havoc on your blood sugar and leave you hungry and craving more carbs. Try it as French toast, croutons, bread crumbs and stuffing.
Pickles
Be sure the label says “fermented.” Commercially made pickles and capers aren’t always made using good bacteria; often they’re just soaked in brine.
Wine and beer
They’re both fermented (yay!). You don’t need me to tell you how to enjoy them.
Other delicious ideas: Swap tempeh for tofu in a stir-fry, pile sauerkraut on a turkey sandwich or marinate chicken in buttermilk overnight. With so many great choices, you’ll be in a pickle in no time (but in a good way).
Snack On This: If you love sriracha, the super flavorful Southeast Asian hot sauce, like I do, grab a bag of Indiana Sriracha Popcorn ($4 for a 6-oz. bag; at Whole Foods Market). Seasoned with red chili pepper, it brings the heat. And studies suggest that chiles boost metabolism.
Gotta Have It: When I see something I don’t recognize on a food label, I turn to the Chemical Cuisine app (free; iTunes and Google Play) from the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Search the alphabetical list of 130-plus food additives; color-coded icons indicate whether the ingredient you’re curious about is safe, OK for some people or to be avoided completely.

隨堂測驗:什麼做的泡菜,醋,豆豉,巧克力和葡萄酒有什麼共同之處?是的,他們都是美味,它們都是發酵。這意味著它們都具有重大的健康津貼。 


世界各地的文化都享有發酵食品千年;他們狼吞虎咽泡菜在韓國,泡菜在德國和奶酪,無處不在。現在,發酵是吸引消費者渴望回歸的飲食自然健康的方式。頂級廚師正在擁抱它太;百福的張大衛有一個烹飪實驗室,致力於食品科學,包括發酵,而他所謂的“味道機械。”發酵是發生了什麼“時,那張爛吧,”張說。這可能聽起來有種嚴重,但涉及發酵“好”微生物分解或部分消化的食物,這使得營養成分更容易為你的身體吸收。研究表明,發酵食品也能增強免疫力。 

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發酵有助於延長保質期(覺得比一盒牛奶乾酪塊多少時間持續),並可以使食物更安全,因為食源性致病菌的可能性較小,在酸性環境中發酵產生的生存。 

你很可能已經享受許多這些食物。下面是一些我最喜歡的。 

味噌 
從發酵的大豆製成的,是在日本湯的必要成分。該大醬越深,時間越長,已經發酵,以及咸做強的味道會。我把一個容器在我的冰箱裡,並用它在滷汁和釉料的雞肉或魚。我也做沙拉醬出來呢:我將1湯匙味噌加上少許切碎的大蒜和生薑,1湯匙米醋1或2茶匙的蜂蜜。然後,我拂在2至4湯匙中性油,像葡萄。 

HEALTH.COM:11食物讓你更餓 

發酵麵包 
這是低血糖指數,所以它不太可能嚴重破壞你的血糖,讓你餓了,渴望更多的碳水化合物。嘗試它作為法國吐司,麵包丁,麵包屑和餡。 

醬菜 
“發酵”可以肯定的標籤上寫著商用做泡菜和酸豆用好細菌並不總是做;通常他們只是浸泡在鹽水。 

葡萄酒和啤酒 
他們倆都是發酵(耶!)。你不需要我來告訴你如何欣賞它們。 

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其他好吃的想法:交換豆豉豆腐在炒,一個火雞三明治一堆酸菜或醃雞酪過夜。有了這麼多偉大的選擇,你會在任何時間(但在一個好辦法)泡菜。 

小吃在此:如果你愛拉差,超級美味的東南亞辣椒醬,像我這樣做,搶了一袋印第安納州拉差爆米花的(4元6盎司袋,在全食超市)。經驗豐富的紅辣椒,它所帶來的熱量。而研究表明,辣椒促進新陳代謝。 

總得有它:當我看到一些我不認識的食物標籤上,我轉交給化學品美食的應用程序(免費,iTunes和谷歌播放)從科學中心公共利益。搜索130多家食品添加劑的字母順序排列;顏色編碼圖標表示你好奇的成分是否安全,對某些人確定或完全避免。