Unfortunately most foods are perishable, and humans have long been faced with the problem of seasonal over-abundance and subsequent food scarcity.

To solve this our ancestors developed many ingenious methods to preserve food - drying, smoking or salting - sometimes alone, sometimes in combination. Their most clever technique was the intentional use of fermentation, which is actually nothing more than controlled spoilage. They knew nothing of the chemistry, physics or biology behind their methods, yet they succeeded in storing perishable produce, simultaneously creating a multitude of new foods. Raw foodstuffs were fundamentally altered: wine is more than old grape juice, just as cheese and yogurt are nothing like modern dehydrated milk.

The transformation of cabbage into sauerkraut or kimchee preserves the vegetable, but it also creates new flavours and textures that reflect the tastes and cultures of the cooks who have prepared them for centuries. Can It! celebrates those transformed, and transforming, foods - born out of necessity - that have done so much to create the diversity of cuisines around the world.

About the Author
Gary Allen is an adjunct professor at Empire State College (part of the State University of New York). His books include Herbs: A Global History (2012) and Sausage: A Global History (2015), both from Reaktion.