The story behind Edible Alchemy
When Edible Alchemy was founded in Canada in 2012 we could not know the ensuing success story of microbes and the human microbiome. We were still in the era of hand sanitizer, plentiful use of antibiotics and general bacterial eww. The vast majority of people considered deliberately creating living food – using bacteria, yeast, or, heaven forbid!, spores – just as mad as the original alchemists’ endeavour of trying to make gold from dirt.
On Becoming Alchemists
Why then did we see ourselves as alchemists in the first place? Short answer: transformation. Transformation through fermentation! We were and are alchemists in the sense that we turn simple, inexpensive ingredients into valuable, probiotic, complexly tasting ferments. And unlike the alchemists of old, we succeed (almost) every time! We create natural umami, the gold of high cuisine.
Edible Alchemy in Berlin
Edible Alchemy’s journey with fermentation has been, just like bacteria and yeasts, ever changing, forming, proliferating and expanding. In 2014 Alexis took the philosophy of Edible Alchemy and many microbial pets to Berlin to open up the first Probiotic Bacteria Bar. Her goal: to spread the word of good bacteria and good microbes in general. Because the majority of microbes is beneficial not harmful to us and we need to team up with the good guys in order to fight the bad guys!
In Berlin, Alexis has collaborated with other like-minded thinkers, makers and doers. While the original philosophy of Edible Alchemy remained intact, the new unions have resulted in several additions.
A Focus on Fermented Foods
First, we have become more focussed on the edible aspect of the brand. Fermented foods are the third dimension in culinary composition. With raw and cooked ingredients, meals are not one-, but, well, two-dimensional. Constant fusion experiments with all three layers gave rise to one of our more recent formats, the 52 Seasons Dinner.
Inherently Sustainable & Extraordinarily Tasty
Second, we have become more ecological. Fermentation means energy-efficient food preservation. Regional, seasonal agricultural produce as well as foraged foods can be enjoyed year round without refrigeration or chemical preservatives. In addition, fermented components add not only complex flavours but also very often provide umami tastes without having to resort to meat. Two of many ways in which fermentation reduces your CO2 footprint!
Healthier Diets, Healthier Guts
Third, we aim for the holistic unification of culinary pleasure, sustainable food, and your personal gut health. Because fermentation breaks down plant proteins to make them more digestible and several nutrients more bioavailable, Edible Alchemy helps to make vegan and vegetarian diets tastier and healthier. In fact, any diet.
Coincidentally, our love of food transformation and experimentation as well as our interest and understanding of how food works in our bodies has been one of the recent sociocultural trends. Bacteria Girl or Bacteria Dealer hasn’t always been the most attractive of nicknames, but we have seized the opportunity to spread our – at the time – strange news about bacteria and a healthy microbiome. Also, in the last few years fermentation has gained popularity in the culinary scene with the advent of the Nordic Food revolution. Most importantly, we have been avoiding food waste for years, and fermenting regional and seasonal produce for a minimal CO2 footprint; before sustainability was a buzzword and before the term ‘climavore’ was born. Edible Alchemy is honoured to have been a part of it.
What’s Bubbling Up Next
Hindsight is 20/20 you say? We heartily welcome you to have a chat with us about „what is next?“ in the world of edible alchemy lowercase, with Edible Alchemy at the vanguard, in the Academy, at one of our Bacteria Bars or live after a workshop.
The People Behind Edible Alchemy
ALEXIS
Hailing from Winnipeg, Canada, Alexis co-founded Edible Alchemy with Natalie back in 2012. Her adventurous spirit has carried her around the globe countless times. After bouts in Mozambique, Japan and Iceland, to name a few, a healthy combination of chance and choice brought her to Berlin.
Since 2014, Alexis has poured most of her time and love into experimenting with and expanding her business as a modern day alchemist and certified herbalist. She is constantly working to evolve her fermentation and foraging offerings in classrooms, festivals, kitchens, farmers’ markets, urban gardens, parks, rooftops and creative spaces.
ALEXIS
Hailing from Winnipeg, Canada, Alexis co-founded Edible Alchemy with Natalie back in 2012. Her adventurous spirit has carried her around the globe countless times. After bouts in Mozambique, Japan and Iceland, to name a few, a healthy combination of chance and choice brought her to Berlin.
Since 2014, Alexis has poured most of her time and love into experimenting with and expanding her business as a modern day alchemist and certified herbalist. She is constantly working to evolve her fermentation and foraging offerings in classrooms, festivals, kitchens, farmers’ markets, urban gardens, parks, rooftops and creative spaces.
CO-ALCHEMISTS
Jonas
Jonas infused Edible Alchemy with their enthusiasm for cultures and endless thirst for knowledge, rounded off with spritzers of their zesty German culture, from 2018 – 2022.
Along with the Microbial Circus, Jonas has worked as an English, Geography and Drama teacher at a gymnasium (i.e. “high school” not “gym”) in Berlin. They considers themself a humanist, ecologist and holistic scientist at heart. We love them for their profound philosophical thought processes and big picture approach to all of Edible Alchemy’s endeavours.
MAIA
As an intuitive fermenter and passionate permaculturalist, Maia is fascinated by the myriad cultures that spring from interactions between humans and their natural surroundings. She perpetually seeks out new ways to invite regenerative practices into her everyday life, kitchen and garden. When she’s not busy spicing up Edible Alchemy’s storytelling game as a freelance sustainability writer, you’ll most likely find Maia pottering about with some wild, new batch of lacto-fermented hot sauces.
NATALIE
Natalie’s curiosity and travels to learn about sustainable agriculture lead her to discover fermentation. Enchanted by these ancient practices, in winter 2012, she co-founded Edible Alchemy in her home of Treaty 1 territory in Canada.
Today, Natalie lives on the rugged coast of Haida Gwaii, the unceded islands and waters of the Haida territory off the northwest coast of so-called Canada. Here she continues to make food magic whether it is selling bulk dry goods and ferments through her project Ruddy Cellar, cooking in remote bush camps, managing gardens at the local women’s shelter or by remediating soils that have been contaminated by heavy industry to support regenerative ecological systems.
She continues to share her passion and knowledge for wild and fermented foods with Edible Alchemy.
Edible Alchemy ONLINE Academy
When we launched Edible Alchemy, there were many visions for what it could become. Overall, our mission to engage with people about fermentation, wherever we can, turned us into ‘culture dealers’, ‘bacteria baristas’, workshop facilitators, edutainers (educational entertainers) and has even lead to the development of our online fermentation course to spread the bacterial knowledge worldwide.
This online academy allows you to access the world of fermentation through video tutorials, PDFs and creative recipes on your own time in the comfort of your own home. Once signed up for a course, you will see that more recipes and skills will be added to the curriculum so your fermentation skills can proliferate and develop. Join our online community of alchemists from around the world!
Edible Alchemy CoLaboratory
Edible Alchemy CoLaboratory is the umbrella of all of our active social platforms that empower members to share knowledge and feedback with us and one another. The aim: to promote healthy lifestyles, food skills and creative experimentation through fermentation and community sharing.
We would love to have you apart of our community! Sign up for our newsletters, contribute a recipe, join a workshop, take an online course or check out our Instagram!
