Sauerkraut at Every Meal? These Fermentation Fanatics Tried That Long Before MAHA

The annual Portland Fermentation Festival took place last week in Oregon, at a time when sauerkraut, kimchi, and other funky foods are in the social and political spotlight. Waking early, I put a small jar of my sauerkraut into my messenger bag, hop on my bicycle, ride to Seattle's King Street Station, and board a train heading to the Portland Fermentation Festival, the yearly gathering affectionately nicknamed "Stinkfest." Usually the sheer existence of a festival like this is enough to get people revved up to come together and talk about their favorite ferments, but in an interesting twist, fermented foods are enjoying a popularity boost from a different crowd. The MAHA movement, and particularly the Donald Trump cabinet, are big into fermented food, eating meat, usually steak, with fermented sides like kimchi or sauerkraut at every meal . I've come to Portland, Oregon, wondering if there was going to be any overlap in the Venn diagram between festival attendees and the MAHA steak-and-ferment crowd. I mentioned this to my cousin-in-law Erick, who's been part of the Portland food scene for years, and he laughed out loud.