In the initial months of the lockdown, when it was difficult to source even essentials, Wadala resident Divya Advani started craving for her favourite beverage, kombucha, a fermented, bubbly tea. "Since I couldn’t get any easily, I decided to make it at home," recalls the founder of Brownsalt Bakery who has since then gone on to brew several flavours of kombucha and tepache. Advani tells us that she had always been curious about fermentation, but never got to try it, due to a busy schedule. "During the lockdown, with free time on hand, it was the perfect hobby," says the baker, adding she’s been able to substitute sugar-loaded store-bought beverages with her healthy, fermented creations.

Much like Advani, many foodies seem to have been bitten by the fermentation bug, thanks to which sourdoughs, kimchis, pickles, sauerkrauts, whey sodas and ginger beers have been all over our social media feeds. While some took it up as a lockdown project, experts note that the trend has a lot to do with the fact that the pandemic has altered our eating patterns, putting the focus back on immunity and well-being.