Taya Mara’s lineup of healthy, fermented foods \u2014 from classic sauerkraut to kimchi \u2014 has built a loyal following at Soo Market<\/p>\n
Taya Mara is offering Sault residents a healthy\u00a0alternative through the sale of fermented food.<\/p>\n
Mara has owned and operated Cultura Ferments\u00a0in Leeburn, 50 km east of the Sault, for the last 10 years.<\/p>\n
She originally served customers at the former Mill Market before moving to Soo Market.<\/p>\n
The fermentation process is scientific and healthy.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou take something as simple as cabbage and salt and then through the fermentation process it turns into sauerkraut, a food that’s incredibly high in vitamin C and amino acids,\u201d Mara told SooToday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fermentation process causes the growth of beneficial probiotic bacteria, not bad bacteria. So, when you consume a fermented food you are getting those benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n
Those beneficial effects include the improvement of digestion, strengthening of the immune system, the combating\u00a0of harmful bacteria and the reduction\u00a0of gut inflammation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith every tablespoon of ferments that you’re eating you’re getting a significant amount of those probiotic bacteria,\u201d Mara said.<\/p>\n
She said more people are starting to learn that beneficial bacteria are good for \u2018the gut,\u2019 a term used to describe the esophagus, stomach, small intestine and large intestine.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have 18 different flavours of fermented sauerkraut and my best seller has dill and garlic in it,\u201d Mara said.<\/p>\n
\u201cKimchi is a popular one as well. It’s a fermented sauerkraut made from napa cabbage instead of green cabbage. The texture of napa cabbage is a little bit different, but the process of fermentation is exactly the same.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other popular fermented sauerkraut mixtures from Cultura Ferments are spicy dill pickle, pineapple turmeric and jalapeno pineapple.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou take your cabbage, you shred it. You add a measured amount of salt based on the weight of your ingredients and your cabbage,\u201d Mara explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs you’re salting your cabbage, you’re squishing it and it creates that natural brine, a natural combination of salt and water. Once it\u2019s shredded and juicy you pack it into a vessel so that it can get tucked in there and do its thing over the next seven to 25 days.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mara said there’s\u00a0fancy equipment\u00a0you can buy for that process but you can also do it at home and leave it in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese foods are live foods. They do react when it’s cold out. They take longer to ferment when it\u2019s cold. In summer when it\u2019s hot they ferment quickly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wish I could grow all of my cabbage. I probably go through about 500 pounds of cabbage a week,\u201d Mara said with a laugh.<\/p>\n
She strives to find and purchase locally-grown cabbage but, in certain months of the year, Mara orders cabbage from an out-of-town delivery service.<\/p>\n
Most people enjoy fermented cabbage as a side dish but there are other ways to experience the taste, Mara said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s great in a wrap or in your salad. You mix it in with your potato salad or egg salad. Lots of people love it with their eggs. It’s fantastic in a grilled cheese sandwich.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mara said she has converted many to fermented cabbage.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe’ve had people stop by at Soo Market and say \u2018I would never eat that.\u2019 Then they try a sample, they buy a jar and they come back every week.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mara has also sold roasted coffee through her other business \u2013 Coffin Valley Supply Co.\u00a0\u2013\u00a0for the last three years alongside Cultura Ferments at Soo Market.<\/p>\n