On a cold new year's day, homebrewer and writer Derek Dellinger began a journey that changed everything he thought he knew about fermented food and drink. For a whole year, he only consumed products created by microbes and became the living embodiment of its cultural and nutritional power: the Fermented Man.

In this highly entertaining book, Dellinger describes his year spent on this unorthodox diet, revealing the science of fermentation, its cultural history, culinary value and nutritional impact. He explains how fermentation occurs in the unlikeliest of foods and many unique delicacies, exploring the world of fermentation from foraging for living bacteria in supermarkets to an epic quest to Iceland for rotten shark meat. Along the way, he uncovers a wealth of forgotten, complex and surprisingly flavourful foods. With recipes for those eager to jump from page to kitchen, The Fermented Man is an adventure story, culinary history and science project all in one.