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Meant to Ferment is a space to explore, learn about and revel in the fermentation world of the Hudson Valley. Host Rebecca Echevarria interviews practitioners including, but not limited to, artists, brewers, farmers, microbiologists, writers, winemakers, and picklers. Music and other forms of food sound media can often be found here too. This program seeks to foster connections in this community, showcase the unique offerings of those in this field and address some of the more technical and scientific aspects of fermentation.

In this episode, I will be speaking with Darich Pérez Reyes, a prolific fermenter, artist, gardener, cook and more, who is based in the Hudson Valley. He was born in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico and we will discuss his practice and passion for ancestral fermentation, learn about fermentation in Puerto Rico and dive deeper into a particular ferment he holds close to his heart, pique, a traditional hot sauce from the island.

I am so grateful Darich will be here with me. If you are interested to learn more about him and his practice, Puerto Rican fermentation and pique please explore the links below:

Bio: Rebecca Echevarria is a care worker, artist and food preserver based in Beacon. By archiving her experiments and studying different food preservation methods, techniques and traditions, she intends to explore our relationship to time, the power of documentation and how to form communities through praxis. She earned an Alternative MA in Food and Art through the Gramounce and is in the process of gaining a Master Food Preserver certification through the Cornell Cooperative Extension. She has presented at fermentation festivals regarding her work in using Puerto-Rican ingredients in Japanese ferments and completed residencies at The Institute for Postnatural Studies, La Foresta and at Sandor Katz's home in Tennessee. She is currently studying how to use ferments in sweets, writing articles, and developing public resources centered on food preservation.