Fermi: Dutch umami from the fermentation chamber

Who's behind it

Fermi was set up by Tjerk Zumpolle, Josh Kröse and Splinter Dreesmann. The fermentation work at Noma in Copenhagen, where fermented seasonings form the base of the kitchen, gave them the idea for a Dutch version: miso made from what grows and is left over here.

The three joined the Food Pioneers programme at Flevo Campus, which connected them with coaching and a network in food innovation. There they also worked out how fermentation and upgrading waste streams fit within Dutch food safety rules. That work is now in every pot.

Why these seasonings

Fermi starts from the waste stream. The pumpkin seed miso comes from pumpkin seed flour left over from oil pressing. The rye miso uses heritage Dutch rye. For garum, Fermi looks at the American crayfish, an invasive species that has to be removed from our waters anyway.

Miso and garum are salt-rich, enzyme-rich seasonings. They break proteins down into free amino acids, which is where umami comes from. One spoon gives a dish more flavour and balance than salt alone.

The chain is short and visible. Ingredients are local and seasonal, and the collaborations run through names you know: Fermi makes the mushroom shoyu with Rotterzwam, and for chicken skin they approached Johan Leenders of Oranjehoen.

In your kitchen

These seasonings work best in the background. A line of rye miso under a vegetable dish, a few drops of seaweed garum over raw fish or a splash of mushroom shoyu through your jus.

For a plant-based or vegetarian menu, you get umami from fermentation where it would otherwise come from meat, anchovies or stock. At the table you can tell the origin, from pumpkin seed to crayfish.