Instructor Spotlight: Sanjana Gopalakrishnan

What inspired you to teach this course?

I am a chemist and microbiologist by training. During my PhD and throughout my research career, I have been working on different strategies to kill dangerous and infectious microbes. I got interested in the interaction between us and the microbial world. Specifically, how certain good microbes are not only beneficial for our health but also essential for our survival. My interest in fermentation was born out of a desire to learn more about them and find ways to integrate probiotic food into my life.

What is a good first foray into the world of fermentation for a beginner?

I actually started with sourdough bread and I think it is the gateway ferment for many people because of how rewarding it is when you are successful, and you probably already have everything you need to get started.

What is a fermented food that most people wouldn’t realize is fermented?

Some of the things that frequently come up in class are condiments—mustard, ketchup, hot sauce, soy sauce, miso. They’re all fermented, but we rarely think of them as such.

What is the worst thing that could go wrong when doing an at-home fermentation project?

A lot of people think it’s mold, and mold is bad. Usually when ferments grow mold, you pretty much have to throw them out, so it’s frustrating. I, however, think that the absolute worst thing that can happen is anything that releases carbon dioxide in a pressurized container—like kombucha. If you’re not careful, they can actually explode.

What do you hope that students will take away from your course?

My hope is that students feel like ferments are more accessible now that they themselves have made quite a few. In class, we talked a lot about how there is a perception of disgust that often underpins fermented foods, particularly those from cultures we are not familiar with. My hope is that after taking this course students are at least encouraged to be more adventurous eaters and not reject a food based on its appearance or smell.

What have you been most excited about?

Two things. We went on a field trip to a kombucha brewery that the students were quite excited about. But for me personally, I’m more excited to see the final projects where students are coming up with their own recipes for ferments. I look forward to tasting everything at the final potluck. Some of these are family recipes and I’ve never had them before!

Sanjana Gopalakrishnan is a postdoctoral researcher in the Biomedical Engineering department at Tufts and received her PhD in Chemistry from UMass Amherst. Her research has focused on the development of biomaterials for the prevention and treatment of microbial infections. She has extensive experience with microbiology and biomaterial development. In her free time, she enjoys cooking and is an avid fermenter— making her own sourdough breads, pickles, hot sauce, kombucha, and much more.