I was arrested at the airport for eating fermented foods, including 10-year-old butter and sealing blubber where I do it

The thought of eating fermented food – let alone people like seal blubber or cheese – is enough to let someone gag.

But Dr. Johnny Drain, from Birminghamhas been doing this for years – I have devoured everything, from whale and seal blubber to artichokes and angelless bee honey, all fermented.

The passion of the chef for fermentation – in which micro -organisms such as bacteria and yeast convert the carbohydrates into foods to create a conservative effect – started as a child when he and his grandmother tried the process on yogurt.

He then went one step further after a doctorate in material science University of OxfordCombining his passions with food, working in Michelin star restaurants around the world.

In anticipation of the release of his debut book, Adventures in Fermentation, Johnny tells MailOnline: ‘I had this real revelation from Like, F ** K, everything that is delicious has been fermented.

“And in fact spent the last 10 years of my life since investigating fermentation, pioneering new techniques within fermentation and also teaching.”

But Johnny’s love for fermenting food has put him in trouble a number of times at the airport – because of the enormous amount of equipment he has to lug around, and he describes his suitcase jokes as ‘a cross between a drug smuggler and a bommaker’.

He explains: ‘There are small bags of white powders that contain traces for fungi that I teach people to grow with which you can make soy sauce or miso -pasta.

Dr. Johnny Drain (photo), from Birmingham, has been fermenting food for years – and devoured everything from whale and sealing bus to artichokes and angelless bee honey, all fermented.

The passion of the chef for fermentation – in which micro -organisms such as bacteria and yeast convert the carbohydrates into foods to create a conservative effect – began as a child when he and his grandmother tried the process on yogurt on yogurt

‘And there are white powders, and then there are small machines that bubble air through things and temperature devices. So I look very dodgy. ‘

Johnny admits that he was even arrested on Gatwick Airport on suspicion of drug smuggling in 2020, on his way to Portugal, which has just returned from Paraguay via Madrid.

“I stopped,” he tells us. “They told me they found traces of drugs on my bag, and then they already had this stuff.

“And if someone asks you:” So what do you do? ” And you explain to them: “Well, I’m just going to eat the world and help people ferment things”.

“They were like” Well, that’s a good task! ” ‘

Johnny continues: ‘They were very polite.

“They said,” Can we arrest you? ” And I said a little “yes, okay”. ‘

The chef was held by the police and received a full body scan to check if he was wearing drugs in his body.

Johnny’s love for fermenting food has put him in trouble at the airport a number of times (stock image)

“I was formally arrested and then they switched on this gigantic X -ray machine,” he remembers. ‘I went in there and I clearly had not swallowed any drugs. So they let me go. ‘

With his threatening flight, Johnny got a police escort to the waiting plane, while his fellow passengers look carefully.

He laughs: “I was flanked by these two police officers with machine guns, and all others were fleeing like:” Who is this guy? ”

Over the years, Johnny has tried many different fermented foods, including small ice fishing in Japan, and Canonic French cheeses in Patagonia.

But it was ten -year -old butter who really left a lasting bitter taste for Johnny, when he spoke it in Marrakesh.

He describes the sour taste and says: ‘It really hits you in the face, like a blue cheese, but with this bitterness and sharpness. It’s sharp.

‘It is just like this real herb that hits the back of your throat.

“It’s not for everyone, but certainly very interesting.”

Johnny admits that he was even arrested at Gatwick Airport on suspicion of drug smuggling in 2020, on his way to Portugal, just returned from Paraguay via Madrid

Johnny’s debut book adventures in fermentation will be released on June 12

Although it is unlikely that many people will enter Johnny’s footsteps of wearing fermentation equipment, there is a must-have travel item that he uses, making things taste even better.

Johnny never flies without His aeropress, a compact coffee maker, in his suitcase.

He says: ‘I just take that and a good -quality coffee grounds with me.

“And it means that I can be at the airport, I can be in the S ** ttest hotel in the world, and immediately in the morning I only need a kettle and I can make an incredibly decent cup of coffee.”

Johnny’s debut book adventures in fermentation is released on June 12.