Chantle Swichkow, a fermented-food scientist, turned her COVID-19 lockdown experience into a fruitful exploration of fermentation at home. Originally a PhD student studying metabolic diseases in mice, Swichkow channeled her experimental drive into creating a sourdough starter, which sparked her passion for the genetic variation in yeast. This led her to conduct postdoctoral research on yeast-bacteria interactions and continue her hobby by fermenting various food items such as kombucha and kimchi. Now, her at-home setup reflects her scientific pursuits intertwined with her love for fermentation and cuisine.
When the world shut down, it was like, I don't know what to do with myself; I ended up throwing all of my experimental angst into a sourdough starter.
I became so intrigued by the genetic variation in yeast that my postdoctoral studies at UCLA focused on the genetic architecture of yeast-bacteria interactions in fermented environments.
One of my favourite projects now is my own personal sourdough starter that I call the Frankenstarter; it incorporates different yeast strains and is always evolving.
I also have a whole little set-up over here with some sauces and some vinegars, showcasing my extensive home-based fermentation experiments.
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