James Read
@jamesreadwrites.bsky.social
Writer (Of Cabbages and Kimchi), fermenter, founder
of Kim Kong Kimchi, CFO of The Fermenters Guild
My stuff -> https://jamesreadwriter.com/links
of Kim Kong Kimchi, CFO of The Fermenters Guild
My stuff -> https://jamesreadwriter.com/links
When you hit the character limit mid-rant but you're mad enough to spend the extra 10p
December 17, 2025 at 11:06 PM
When you hit the character limit mid-rant but you're mad enough to spend the extra 10p
DM me for a last-minute signed copy to stick under the tree 🎄
December 16, 2025 at 11:22 AM
DM me for a last-minute signed copy to stick under the tree 🎄
BRB need to tell 12 year-old me that I'll end up making a living selling cabbage, but it's OK there's a Magic: The Gathering card about it
November 13, 2025 at 12:58 PM
BRB need to tell 12 year-old me that I'll end up making a living selling cabbage, but it's OK there's a Magic: The Gathering card about it
Breakfast of champions!
October 23, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Breakfast of champions!
Fermentation-related hypothetical. How many overripe figs would it take to fail a breathalyser test? Context, if helpful, is over granola.
October 23, 2025 at 8:52 AM
Fermentation-related hypothetical. How many overripe figs would it take to fail a breathalyser test? Context, if helpful, is over granola.
Names redacted, because I know AI is shoved at us to solve every problem lately, but please don't ask it for fermenting (or possibly any cooking) advice!
September 30, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Names redacted, because I know AI is shoved at us to solve every problem lately, but please don't ask it for fermenting (or possibly any cooking) advice!
(the data tab is actually a bit more useful, if less sexy than the map)
(yes, I'm taking it as read that maps of ferment origins are sexy)
(yes, I'm taking it as read that maps of ferment origins are sexy)
September 9, 2025 at 11:37 AM
(the data tab is actually a bit more useful, if less sexy than the map)
(yes, I'm taking it as read that maps of ferment origins are sexy)
(yes, I'm taking it as read that maps of ferment origins are sexy)
I do love me some data - here's a map of over 600 traditional ferments across the world bokulich-lab.github.io/FermDB/#map
FermDB
bokulich-lab.github.io
September 9, 2025 at 11:36 AM
I do love me some data - here's a map of over 600 traditional ferments across the world bokulich-lab.github.io/FermDB/#map
My main concern here, though, would be keeping everything submerged below the brine. This becomes slightly less important once it's all fermented, but if you keep it for a while you'll get off-flavours from yeasts (often called 'kahm') on anything exposed (though underneath it's usually fine)
July 22, 2025 at 10:27 AM
My main concern here, though, would be keeping everything submerged below the brine. This becomes slightly less important once it's all fermented, but if you keep it for a while you'll get off-flavours from yeasts (often called 'kahm') on anything exposed (though underneath it's usually fine)
I wouldn't personally go for a perpetual ferment - the reason being that you get different microbes emerging at different stages of fermentation (the early-fermentation ones can't take the acidity of late-fermentation) and so new veg wouldn't get the full process.
July 22, 2025 at 10:25 AM
I wouldn't personally go for a perpetual ferment - the reason being that you get different microbes emerging at different stages of fermentation (the early-fermentation ones can't take the acidity of late-fermentation) and so new veg wouldn't get the full process.
Thank you very much Franz! 😁
June 24, 2025 at 12:36 PM
Thank you very much Franz! 😁
Looks like my book is discounted at the moment (<£15) www.hotukdeals.com/deals/of-cab...
Of Cabbages and Kimchi: Essential Guide to Fermented Foods £14.75 at Amazon | hotukdeals
www.hotukdeals.com
June 24, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Looks like my book is discounted at the moment (<£15) www.hotukdeals.com/deals/of-cab...
I made something silly with some juniper beer I fermented because I think the little berries look like comets (🔊)
June 11, 2025 at 11:57 AM
I made something silly with some juniper beer I fermented because I think the little berries look like comets (🔊)
Reposted by James Read
Very happy to have made some kimchi which got complements from our South Korean houseguest.
Standing on the shoulders of @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social and his fab book.
Standing on the shoulders of @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social and his fab book.
May 27, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Very happy to have made some kimchi which got complements from our South Korean houseguest.
Standing on the shoulders of @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social and his fab book.
Standing on the shoulders of @jamesreadwrites.bsky.social and his fab book.
Thanks very much Justin, and great work on your clearly impressive batch! Spreading the good word of home-made kimchi one jar at a time...
May 27, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Thanks very much Justin, and great work on your clearly impressive batch! Spreading the good word of home-made kimchi one jar at a time...
Here is a small part of said soy sauce
May 21, 2025 at 9:21 AM
Here is a small part of said soy sauce
So pleased to see trad soy sauce getting in-depth coverage from @koryodynasty.bsky.social (coincidentally the same morning I'm filtering some soy sauce I started 3 years ago) www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...
‘Without time, there is no flavour’: a South Korean grand master on the art of the perfect soy sauce
Ki Soon-do’s soy sauce has been served to Donald Trump and gained Unesco heritage protection. It is recognition that is 370 years in the making
www.theguardian.com
May 21, 2025 at 9:20 AM
So pleased to see trad soy sauce getting in-depth coverage from @koryodynasty.bsky.social (coincidentally the same morning I'm filtering some soy sauce I started 3 years ago) www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...
Yes little mouse! Douze points.
May 17, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Yes little mouse! Douze points.
Andy Serkis on the glockenspiel for Albania 👌
May 17, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Andy Serkis on the glockenspiel for Albania 👌
I think any application of AI should be measured against "magic 8 ball with Simpsons clips" tvsimulator.com/says/
TV Simulator Says
tvsimulator.com
May 12, 2025 at 9:19 AM
I think any application of AI should be measured against "magic 8 ball with Simpsons clips" tvsimulator.com/says/
I'm on the Fermenters Guild podcast chatting about the koji process, crap bats and the ginger beer liminal space fermentersguild.podbean.com/e/james-read...
James Read on researching fermentation, the origins of kefir and the ginger bug liminal space | The Fermenters Guild Podcast
Robin is joined this week by James Read, author of Of Cabbages & Kimchi and founder of Kim Kong Kimchi, to discuss the process of writing a book about fermentation, the challenges of research and ...
fermentersguild.podbean.com
May 7, 2025 at 5:20 AM
I'm on the Fermenters Guild podcast chatting about the koji process, crap bats and the ginger beer liminal space fermentersguild.podbean.com/e/james-read...
I didn't think I'd sick in my mouth so early in the day, but here we are.
May 1, 2025 at 8:48 AM
I didn't think I'd sick in my mouth so early in the day, but here we are.
Context: taken from an AI-generated short story, which (how apt!) nicked the phrase from Nabokov.
March 13, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Context: taken from an AI-generated short story, which (how apt!) nicked the phrase from Nabokov.
...and that is how I named my sad lit language model.
March 13, 2025 at 3:42 PM
...and that is how I named my sad lit language model.