Who is Eleni?
I am a food anthropologist and nomadic fermenter from Cyprus.
When I finished high school, I had many interests, but two of my main passions were languages and connecting to different people, for this reason I decided to move to the United Kingdom to study hospitality and tourism. After I spent a few years working in five-star hotels and Michelin-star restaurants, I shifted my focus towards the farm-to-table and zero-waste movement, until I was introduced to a Chef who wanted to open a zero-waste restaurant in London. Everything had to be sustainable, from the interiors to the raw ingredients used in the kitchen. I remember we would use off-cuts such as broccoli stems for salads and it was during that time that I understood the importance of fermentation and started with basic lacto-fermented vegetables.
How would you describe koji to someone that is unfamiliar with it?
Have you ever had soy sauce? Koji is the fungus behind it. You grow it on different substrates, traditionally being rice or wheat, but now people are experimenting with local ingredients and growing it on new surfaces such as meat to make it more delicious.
From a scientific perspective, once koji starts to grow, it produces enzymes which convert starch and proteins into sugars and amino acids. Therefore, there is potential for more legumes or crops to be consumed, for waste to be reduced and for food to become more digestible and flavoursome.
How did you become interest in koji?
I stumbled across koji while conducting research for my master’s in Anthropology of Food. I was in search for sustainable solutions, and insights into the future of food. Through Instagram I followed the hashtag #kojibuildscommunity and then I found out about KojiCon, a conference dedicated to Koji-based fermentation, where different experts share knowledge and tips. I remember thinking “Wow, they are doing a conference on a specific mold, from Japan, that’s insane!”
Why is koji so important to you?
I see Koji as a resource and a saviour. From an anthropological perspective it’s interesting how various chefs and fermenters use it, how they grow it and what it means to them. #kojibuildscommunity is a form of activism, which manifests in different ways, as people use it to create relationships, to learn from others how to create better flavors and to ultimately create a better food system.
From a political perspective it is also fascinating to look at Koji as an emblem, as it’s been declared to be Japan’s National Mold, even if its origins turn out to be from China or Korea. Through my research, I found that the way Koji is being used today, is not about cultural appropriation; rather, it is about adapting and adopting it in a way that can benefit our local food system!
What is the power of fermentation?
Fermentation is a tool for change, not only social but also cultural.
The aim is not to completely replace what people like, but to train their palates in order to diversify their diets and cooking. For example, when I got invited to host the opening of “Pop
These included two local fermentation businesses – one being Augora Fermente, a fermentation studio, shop and restaurant that features their made-in-house fermented products, alongside most of Austria’s artisan makers; and Flora & Rauna, an artisan plant-based vegan charcuterie brand, that grows koji on vegetables. We were joined by bio-tech companies. Namely, Germany-based Mushlabs are growing different strains of fungal mycelium which are fed with side-streams of the food industry and then fermented, in order to produce meat substitutes. UK-based WNWN Ffood Llabs are pioneering the making a cacao-free chocolate movement, using from British barley and Italian carob cacao and koji.
What did you focus on while studying Food Anthropology?
For my dissertation entitled ‘Cultures and Cultures of Koji’, Japan’s National Mold: Navigating through Transnational Communities and Ecologies of Flavor’ explored the fine line between microbial cultures, microorganisms and the cultures of our society. My conclusion being that just like human and microbial cultures are interrelated and inseparable, we should and could also, be inclusive within our society, as it’s not a matter of competition but rather of survival and coexistence.
What is the relation between Food and Design?
During the Milan Design week, I had co-created an installation named “Intercultural design, multispecies collaborations in the kitchen” together with artist Kaajal Modi. I found it interesting and challenging being the only exhibitor with food, and my exhibition was alive, changing forms every day!
I used fermentation as a tool for communicating the interdependence between humans and microbes, through different activities such as “feeding the sourdough”, “nukazuke handwash” or “tea with mother”.
I was inviting people to interact with ferments, in order to have a sensorial experience. My goal was to facilitate the conversation around our ownership over food, our relationship with microorganisms and how these are changing over the years.
What are your thoughts regarding fermentation as a trend in restaurants?
It is a great opportunity to prevent waste while introducing new flavours and techniques, making a restaurant’s offering more exciting and delicious. We must however, be careful from a health perspective to avoid the growth of unwanted microorganisms. For example, applying spores in the wrong way you could result in contamination, or even, the production of toxins that could be harmful in the long term. Therefore, more fermentation experts are needed in restaurants to help maintain a healthy and sustainable fermentation product line in order also to avoid wasting too much food while experimenting.
What is your favorite fermented food?
I would say ‘amazake’, as it’s very versatile. Essentially, it is a double-fermented koji. You can have it cold, you can make chai latte with it or you reduce it and make a jam out of it. Depending on the fermentation temperature and length of time, you can achieve different levels of sweeness.
Which restaurants do you look up to for their use of koji?
Noma was definitely the place that made koji widely known through the Nordic Food Movement. At the same time, we see many restaurants using koji more and more around the world. In London for example, Silo, with the use of koji alongside other types of fermentation has established itself as theprestigious zero waste restaurant in the world. Notable restaurants celebrating fermentation in London are also Plates, Apricity, Acme Fire Cult, Silas Yard, and Casa Fofo. In Europe, my favorites are Merold in Berlin, Spore in Milan, and Das Kraus in Vienna.
What are your goals for the future?
My aim is to activate fermentation stations around the world and connect communities through that. For example, during the festival I mentioned earlier that took place in Austria in October, I brought people from different industries together, introducing fermented foods to the city of Vienna.
Earlier in September, in the role of the Food & Beverage Director for an Experience Design Conference named ‘The College of Extraordinary Experiences’, I curated a team of fermentation professionals with whom she set up a fermentation lab in rural Germany, co-creating a fermentation-led menu based on foraged plants, which we used to feed an international audience of 150 people over the course of five days at a medieval castle in Poland.
Back in June, I organized an event with a great selection of educators from the Fermenter’s Guild Uk, where I hosted our international fermentation author Sandor Katz on a panel together with local experts, with over 80 people in the audience.
I am passionate about contributing to academia in the Social Sciences, Design, Food Studies, as well as Science and Technology Studies (STS).