The earth turns vines into wine, barley into beer, sweet cabbage into sauerkraut, soybeans into soy sauce, pigs into prosciutto. All these changes depend on the careful management of the putrefying processes. ...

Water is the carrier of flavors. Fire boils water into what is dry and inedible and makes it possible to obtain a tasty dish from products that are inedible for humans (e.g. flour). ...

Drying is a transformation where water is evaporated from food. It is one of the oldest methods of preserving and storing fruit, vegetables, and meat. With hot, dry air, we take all the water from the products. ...