Fermenting to Connect - Youth Exchange

For the past week six Hungarian participants have been learning and sharing knowledge about fermentation in an E+ Youth Exchange in the beautiful hills of Tuscany. From the familiar taste of sauerkraut to the exotic flavors of tempeh or miso, we have been exploring the world of fermentation, working hand in hand with the microbial world to learn to make food that lasts longer, tastes better and is healthy for our bodies.

In that process we have not only created connections with young people from other cultures but also been reconnecting with Hungarian traditions. Our new friends from France, Croatia, Slovenia and Italy introduced us to their culture with an emphasis on traditional fermented foods and drinks.

Thanks to the amazing team building exercises and energizers our lovely team could later work together efficiently on preparing the final part of the program - the market. Our goal was to bring awareness to long forgotten methods and techniques. We prepared an interactive stand where people could try kimchi or kombucha, take some sourdough starter or even prepare some new ferments with the help of the participants.

We all had an amazing day with many inspiring encounters. People of the market were all curious and welcoming. La Fierucola market is the place to go if you are ever in Florence on a Sunday.