Is It Rotten? No Way!

One dark night, there are unexpected murmurs. Microorganisms that make fermented foods including doenjang (fermented soybean paste), cheonggukjang (fast fermented soybean paste), kimchi (spicy fermented cabbages), saeujeot (salted and fermented shrimps), makgeolli (thick fermented rice wine), gajami sikhae (spicy fermented flatfish), and vinegar have gathered from all over the country. Where exactly are we? Who brought us here, for what reason? To answer such questions, these microbe friends take turns telling their stories about what they have done. At times complaining, at times boasting, they all recount how they have created fermented foods. Various microorganisms including Bacillus subtilisin cheonggukjang, Leuconostoc in kimchi, Pediococcus in saeujeot, and Acetobacter in vinegar excitedly explain their respective roles.
A prizewinner in Changbi’s 10th Good Books for Children competition, Is It Rotten? No Way! vividly recounts scientifically proven facts about fermented foods. To express the local color of diverse fermented foods, the microorganisms explain the process through which they create fermented foods in regional dialects. In addition, the wealth of information on fermented foods will enhance reader’s understanding of the historical origins and cultural backgrounds of these foods, which are characteristic of Korean cuisine.
This book will be the perfect gift for today’s youngsters, who are far too accustomed to fast food and thus likely to shun the more healthful traditional Korean dishes. After reading about the microorganisms that actively create fermented foods, children surely will be less finicky.