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Sour: The Magical Element that Will Transform Your Cooking Hardcover – November 5, 2019

by Mark Diacono (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 135 ratings
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Sour is the definitive book on this unique taste. From cheese to vinegar, throughout the centuries we have deliberately let – and even encouraged – food to go sour to enhance its flavor.

Sour foods have never been more fashionable, with the spotlight falling on foodstuffs as disparate as Belgian sour beer and Korean kimchi. But what is it that makes sourness such an enticing, complex element of the eating experience? And what are the best ways to harness sour flavors in your own kitchen?

Mark Diacono sets out to demystify the sour world, and explore why everyone's extolling the virtues of kombucha and fermenting for their digestive health. By grappling with gooseberries and turning his hand to sourdough, experimenting with ultra-cool shrub cocktails, and making his own yogurt, keffir and pickles, Mark tells the story of what makes things sour, and offers recipes that maximize the transformative power of this amazing taste.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    272 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Quadrille Publishing
  4. Publication date
    November 5, 2019
  5. Dimensions
    7.6 x 1.45 x 11 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1787132269
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1787132269
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mark Diacono is a food writer, gardener and photographer. His smallholding, Otter Farm, is home to orchards of pecans, peaches, almonds, Szechuan pepper, apricots, a kitchen garden and a vineyard. The Otter Farm Kitchen Garden School is a creative hub for courses, guest speakers and events dedicated to sharing expertise on every step on the journey from plot to plate. Mark was involved in the early years of River Cottage, appearing in the television series, and running courses and events at River Cottage HQ. His book A Year at Otter Farm won the André Simon Food Book of the Year 2015, and A Taste of the Unexpected won the Guild of Food Writers Food Book of the Year 2011; he is also the author of three River Cottage Handbooks. Mark writes regularly for various magazines and newspapers.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Quadrille Publishing (November 5, 2019)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1787132269
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1787132269
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.73 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.6 x 1.45 x 11 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 135 ratings

About the author

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Mark Diacono,

Mark Diacono,

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Mark Diacono is lucky enough to spend most of his time eating, growing, writing and talking about food. He has written a number of award-winning books, including A Year at Otter Farm and A Taste of the Unexpected (which both won Food Book of the Year for André Simon and the Guild of Food Writers, respectively), Sour (which was Food Book of the Year 2019 in The Sunday Times and Daily Mail, and nominated for a James Beard Award in the US), Herb and Spice. Known for growing everything from Szechuan pepper to pecans to Asian pears, Mark's refreshing approach to growing and eating has done much to inspire a new generation to grow some of what they eat.

Mark has monthly columns in The Sunday Times, Delicious Magazine and Country Life; he also writes regularly for others including The Telegraph, and his features have appeared in The Observer, Guardian, National Geographic, and others. He hosts Cafe Murano Book Club, speaks and demos at food festivals around the UK and writes for an engaged and growing global audience on his Substack: ‘Mark Diacono’s Garden To Table'.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
135 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Cynthia Copeland
5.0 out of 5 stars A delightful Guidebook to the Magical Kingdom of fermented, soured foods ...
Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2019
Verified Purchase
I had the pleasure of meeting Mark at River Cottage way back in 2010 -- he presented as a thoughtful soul, hugely interested in building an awareness in others of the magic that is the 'fruit and veg' of the earth. With Sour, Mark is 'making his mark' globally, deservedly so ... his willingness to teach, to share, to encourage is front and centre in this lovely book, as it is at Otter Farm and beyond. The introduction alone is worth the purchase price - Mark leads the reader down a personal garden path, providing inspiration on making the produce's journey far more enjoyable than the raw product. He strictly encourages transformation, allowing fruit and veg to experience an extended, amazing lifespan, to our ultimate benefit.
3 people found this helpful
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Pati
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent beautiful book
Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2019
This is a must have book for anyone that loves cook books. It is a beautifully written, beautifully crafted piece of art. This book not only gives lovely recipes but it also has illustrations that are gorgeous. The recipes in this book are so interesting and so much fun that it inspires you to make something you've never made before. I love this book and I can't wait to make the kumbacha. Thank you to the author.
2 people found this helpful
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Kaitlyn Morar
4.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing take on all things sour
Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2021
Verified Purchase
This book has some great recipes, for starters the pickled cherries are so good I made multiple batches and they are easily one of my favorite salad toppings. I have made several other recipes as well and they have all been very good, mainly side dishes and pickles. I haven’t ventured too far into the main courses, but I am looking forward to trying out some of those recipes too. I am giving this four stars because I did make one recipe that was an absolute fail (the strawberry sambal) and there is another recipe that is missing the titular ingredient (Cardamom I believe) from the recipe ingredients. I tried to contact the author to ask for help via Instagram and received a “like” on my question for help on the recipe.
2 people found this helpful
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loves books
3.0 out of 5 stars excellent content, well written but...
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2020
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book binding poor... spine not stable - very loose making book difficult to use.
otherwise an excellent book overall ! author very creative.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

emu90
5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic resource
Reviewed in Germany on January 27, 2021
Verified Purchase
I love all things sour, not to mention fermented. I already do quite a bit of pickling, fermenting, etc. (veggies, kombucha, sourdough, ginger beer), but this offers some strategies I had't tried before, and is a way easier starting point than a book like the Noma Guide to Fermentation (also a fantastic resource, but I'm not ready to build my own fermentation chamber or buy the equipment necessary to follow one of their vinegar recepies). I also appreciate the variety of recipies provided for sour ingredients.. something that can be a shame when it comes to fermenting things is that you dedicate a lot of time, make a big batch of something, and then by the time you're halfway through eating the batch, it's become monotonous. This book does a good job of remedying that with lots of diverse ideas. I own a ton of cookbooks, but this is one I am really looking forward to reading through a number of times, and developing some new ideas to incorporate into my cooking. :) Highly recommended!
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kirstie edgar
5.0 out of 5 stars More than a cookbook, this is a food writing at it’s finest.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 18, 2019
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I buy a lot of cookbooks. Seriously. So bloody many. But occasionally there is one that stops me in my tracks and @mark_diacono new book Sour has done just that. The writing is off the scale. I want to make Gooseberry Fool purely to share a big bowl of it and hear “the clack of metal against metal, all creamy-toothed smiles” with my son. The intro to “Grandad’s Trifle” made me cry, and if it doesn’t make you cry then I don’t want to be your friend. And I defy anyone to read this and not want to make the Mojito Marmalade the same day. If anyone wants me I’m going to be knee deep in sourdough starters and Scobys for the next few days.
36 people found this helpful
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Moo
5.0 out of 5 stars A really special book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 9, 2020
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What a great book this is! I don't have any more space for cookbooks but as a lover of all things sour, I had to buy this. I'm so glad I did! It's my first book by Mark Diacono- the writing and the recipes are brilliant. I currently have kimchi, cider vinegar and banana vinegar fermenting on my shelves. So far I've made the sourdough pancakes, Persian fish stew, dosa pancakes with roast cauliflower and the gooseberry & oat cake. All were delicious and I'm looking forward to making more things. I want to eat/drink almost everything in this book! A sign of a great cookbook.
5 people found this helpful
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mrs c m chambers
5.0 out of 5 stars A very interesting read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 15, 2022
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This book is very informative and full of amusing anecdotes. I stared making my own vinegar the very next day and look forward to making more interesting sauces and condiments.
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Annie Mae H.Worth
5.0 out of 5 stars It's more than a cookbook!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 3, 2021
Verified Purchase
I avidly collect cookbooks, owning well over 100 now, and I'd say this has comfortably ranked itself into my top 3.
It's brilliantly written, and rarely do I want to create every single recipe in a book.
From sourdough starters to chutneys, to preserves to spice infustions the start of this book really sets you up for your own sour adventure.
I couldn't recommend this book enough!
2 people found this helpful
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