Live Cultures Program

Join us for a deep dive into the microorganisms that make life delicious—in our drinks, bread, yogurt, pickles, and more. First, watch The Birth of Saké (2015) to whet your appetite and expand your understanding of the process of fermentation. Then, in the Tasting Lab, local purveyors of fermented products will be offering samples, including Queens’ own Mama O’s Premium Kimchi and Bench Flour Bakers, plus Tart Vinegar and Brooklyn Kura sake. Special opportunity to taste Tedorigawa sake from Japan, too – the brewery featured in The Birth of Sake. Then, learn how it’s made so deliciously at the Live Cultures conversation. Flavor scientist Arielle Johnson, author of Flavorama: A Guide to Unlocking the Art and Science of Flavor, shares some of her current explorations of the molecular and physical experience of flavor as it intersects with aesthetic and cultural matters. She’ll be joined by chemist turned craft sake brewer, Brandon Doughan, co-founder and master brewer of Brooklyn Kura, New York’s first sake brewery. Live Cultures will consist of an afternoon of film, talks, and gatherings around fermented foods and drink; the final program in the Open Worlds: Science series, supported by the Simons Foundation.