--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had thought fermentation was controlled…" description: "\"“I had thought fermentation was controlled death. Left alone, a head of cabbage molds and decomposes. It becomes rotten, inedible. But when brined and ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/michelle-zauner-5132_carbon-dioxide_i-had-thought-fermentation-was-controlle_1751885.jpg" --- # I had thought fermentation was controlled death. Left… ![“I had thought fermentation was controlled death. Left alone, a head of cabbage molds and decomposes. It becomes rotten, inedible. But when brined and stored, the course of its decay is altered. Sugars are broken down to produce lactic acid, which protects it from spoiling. Carbon dioxide is…” quote by Michelle Zauner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/michelle-zauner-5132_carbon-dioxide_i-had-thought-fermentation-was-controlle_1751885.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/michelle-zauner-5132_carbon-dioxide_i-had-thought-fermentation-was-controlle_1751885.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/michelle-zauner-5132_carbon-dioxide_i-had-thought-fermentation-was-controlle_1751885.jpg) > ““I had thought fermentation was controlled death. Left alone, a head of cabbage molds and decomposes. It becomes rotten, inedible. But when brined and stored, the course of its decay is altered. Sugars are broken down to produce lactic acid, which protects it from spoiling. Carbon dioxide is released and the brine acidifies. It ages. Its color and texture transmute. Its flavor becomes tarter, more pungent. It exists in time and transforms. So it is not quite controlled death, because it enjoys a new life altogether. The memories I had stored, I could not let fester. Could not let trauma infiltrate and spread, to spoil and render them useless. They were moments to be tended. The culture we shared was active, effervescent in my gut and in my genes, and I had to seize it, foster it so it did not die in me. So that I could pass it on someday. The lessons she imparted, the proof of her life lived on in me, in my every move and deed. I was what she left behind. If I could not be with my mother, I would be her.”” [Michelle Zauner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-zauner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote likens personal trauma and memory to fermentation, showing how confronting and processing pain can transform it into something valuable and alive, rather than letting it rot. **In simple terms:** Processing pain can turn it into growth. Key Takeaway Turn trauma into growth. Themes healing memory transformation family culture Mood reflective hopeful Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - grief counseling - family storytelling - personal journaling - creative expression Key Concepts psychology biology metaphor Questions to Reflect On - How can you actively process painful memories? - What practices help you transform trauma? A Different Perspective Transformation requires active effort and may not erase pain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Carbon dioxide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carbon-dioxide/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Left behind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left-behind/) [New life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-life/) ## Related quotes > [“If you draw the full length of the blade through the fish in one gentle sweep, the resulting cross section is smooth and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tetsu-kariya/if-you-draw-the-full-length-of-the-blade-through-the-fish-in-one/) [Tetsu Kariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tetsu-kariya/) > [Fermentation is the exhalation of a substance through the admixture of a ferment which, by virtue of its spirit, penetrates the mass and transforms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andreas-libavius/fermentation-is-the-exhalation-of-a-substance-through-the-admixture/) Andreas Libavius > [“In the Strongs' case, Lidy taught Hiram everything he knew about making shine. A medicine woman of sorts, she often turned to tinctures for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-collins-anderson/in-the-strongs-case-lidy-taught-hiram-everything-he-knew-about-making/) Michelle Collins Anderson > [“Fermentation is right up there with cooking as one of the most powerful methods to transform food.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-durant/fermentation-is-right-up-there-with-cooking-as-one-of-the-most/) [John Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-durant/) > [Here's what the Encyclopedia Galactica has to say about alcohol. It says that alcohol is a colourless volatile liquid formed by the fermentation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/here-s-what-the-encyclopedia-galactica-has-to-say-about-alcohol-it/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [I will now direct the attention of scientists to a previously unnoticed cause which brings about the metamorphosis and decomposition phenomena which are usually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justus-von-liebig/i-will-now-direct-the-attention-of-scientists-to-a-previously/) [Justus von Liebig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justus-von-liebig/) > [Since the most ancient times, all men, and particularly those who endeavored in the practice of medicine, have brought closer together two natural phenomena…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-pasteur/since-the-most-ancient-times-all-men-and-particularly-those-who/) [Louis Pasteur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-pasteur/) > [Fermentation and civilization are inseparable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ciardi/fermentation-and-civilization-are-inseparable/) [John Ciardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ciardi/) > [We allowed ourselves to become particularly interested in research into the appearance of intermediate products of sugar decomposition during cell-free fermentation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eduard-buchner/we-allowed-ourselves-to-become-particularly-interested-in-research/) [Eduard Buchner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eduard-buchner/) > [Unquiet souls. In the dark fermentation of earth, in the never idle workshop of nature, in the eternal movement, yea shall find yourselves again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-arnold/unquiet-souls-in-the-dark-fermentation-of-earth-in-the-never-idle/) [Matthew Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-arnold/) > [My present and most fixed opinion regarding the nature of alcoholic fermentation is this: The chemical act of fermentation is essentially a phenomenon correlative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-pasteur/my-present-and-most-fixed-opinion-regarding-the-nature-of-alcoholic/) [Louis Pasteur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-pasteur/) > [Philosophy is a state of fermentation a process without final outcome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esa-saarinen/philosophy-is-a-state-of-fermentation-a-process-without-final-outcome/) Esa Saarinen > [Great fury, like great whisky, requires long fermentation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/great-fury-like-great-whisky-requires-long-fermentation/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [I have wished to see chemistry applied to domestic objects, to malting, for instance, brewing, making cider, to fermentation and distillation generally, to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/i-have-wished-to-see-chemistry-applied-to-domestic-objects-to-malting/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [ \[The doctrine of air\] I was led into in consequence of inhabiting a house adjoining to a public brewery, where I at first amused… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-priestley/the-doctrine-of-air-i-was-led-into-in-consequence-of-inhabiting-a/) [Joseph Priestley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-priestley/) ## More by Michelle Zauner > [If you wrote a crummy line or maybe didn't sing to the best of your ability, there's layers of 10 different instruments all working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-zauner/if-you-wrote-a-crummy-line-or-maybe-didn-t-sing-to-the-best-of-your/) [Michelle Zauner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-zauner/) > [I've been lucky to come up when there's such a huge explosion of women, and especially Asian women, in music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-zauner/i-ve-been-lucky-to-come-up-when-there-s-such-a-huge-explosion-of/) [Michelle Zauner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-zauner/) > [I would love to play an H Mart parking lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-zauner/i-would-love-to-play-an-h-mart-parking-lot/) [Michelle Zauner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-zauner/) > [One of my more recent favorite memories is of traveling to Jeonju with my aunt and uncle. After my mother passed away, my aunt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-zauner/one-of-my-more-recent-favorite-memories-is-of-traveling-to-jeonju/) [Michelle Zauner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-zauner/) > [When my mother died of cancer in 2014, my father was quick to reinvent himself. Within a year, he moved to Thailand, became obsessed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-zauner/when-my-mother-died-of-cancer-in-2014-my-father-was-quick-to-reinvent/) [Michelle Zauner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-zauner/) > [I never thought I would be able to play in Seoul, the city where my mother was raised and I was born, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-zauner/i-never-thought-i-would-be-able-to-play-in-seoul-the-city-where-my/) [Michelle Zauner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-zauner/) > [English was always my favorite subject in middle school and high school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-zauner/english-was-always-my-favorite-subject-in-middle-school-and-high/) [Michelle Zauner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-zauner/) > [Sometimes I can really agonize over a creative project and forget that it's essentially professional play, you know?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-zauner/sometimes-i-can-really-agonize-over-a-creative-project-and-forget/) [Michelle Zauner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-zauner/) > [A lot of cookbooks also have incredible food writing, even though I feel like a lot of cookbook authors don't necessarily identify with being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-zauner/a-lot-of-cookbooks-also-have-incredible-food-writing-even-though-i/) [Michelle Zauner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-zauner/) > [I used to shower every day, but I've been trying to shower less frequently for my hair health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-zauner/i-used-to-shower-every-day-but-i-ve-been-trying-to-shower-less/) [Michelle Zauner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-zauner/) > [Then, in high school, I had a kind of mental breakdown; I didn't want to go to school anymore. It felt pointless. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-zauner/then-in-high-school-i-had-a-kind-of-mental-breakdown-i-didn-t-want-to/) [Michelle Zauner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-zauner/) > [Food in general is really important for any diaspora, and it's really important for Korean people. This was a connection my mom and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-zauner/food-in-general-is-really-important-for-any-diaspora-and-it-s-really/) [Michelle Zauner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-zauner/) > [When you're looking back at your ancestral history or the cultural context of your identity, it's natural to search for that in the food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-zauner/when-you-re-looking-back-at-your-ancestral-history-or-the-cultural/) [Michelle Zauner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-zauner/) > [I started going to chess clubs when I was in fourth grade. From fourth grade to seventh grade, I was in chess club.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-zauner/i-started-going-to-chess-clubs-when-i-was-in-fourth-grade-from-fourth/) [Michelle Zauner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-zauner/) > [I'd always struggled with being a very depressed and anxious person in high school. If I had let that kind of dark moment consume…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-zauner/i-d-always-struggled-with-being-a-very-depressed-and-anxious-person/) [Michelle Zauner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-zauner/) [Explore all 103 Michelle Zauner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-zauner/) ## More Carbon dioxide quotes > [Washington bureaucrats have classified the very air we exhale as a pollutant and have gone unchallenged in this incredible assertion. The logical consequence is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/washington-bureaucrats-have-classified-the-very-air-we-exhale-as-a/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [Breathing is give(carbon dioxide) and take(oxygen), such is life, find balance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-williams/breathing-is-give-carbon-dioxide-and-take-oxygen-such-is-life-find/) Marcel Williams > [We have to slow down the emissions of carbon dioxide and methane from coal burning, oil and eventually natural gas... And the best ways…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramez-naam/we-have-to-slow-down-the-emissions-of-carbon-dioxide-and-methane-from/) [Ramez Naam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramez-naam/) > [Whether carbon dioxide is quite the environmental villain that some people make it out to be is not yet proven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/whether-carbon-dioxide-is-quite-the-environmental-villain-that-some/) [Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/) > [As we pump greenhouse gases into our atmosphere, the ocean absorbs carbon dioxide, making the seawater acidic and hostile for shellfish and corals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-gardiner/as-we-pump-greenhouse-gases-into-our-atmosphere-the-ocean-absorbs/) [Barry Gardiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-gardiner/) > [ \[The doctrine of air\] I was led into in consequence of inhabiting a house adjoining to a public brewery, where I at first amused… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-priestley/the-doctrine-of-air-i-was-led-into-in-consequence-of-inhabiting-a/) [Joseph Priestley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-priestley/) > [“The discovery of an interaction among the four hemes made it obvious that they must be touching, but in science what is obvious is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-discovery-of-an-interaction-among-the-four-hemes-made-it-obvious/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The instrument Keeling built, the gas chromatograph, works by passing infrared (IR) light through a sample of air and measuring the amount of IR…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-cullen/the-instrument-keeling-built-the-gas-chromatograph-works-by-passing/) [Heidi Cullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-cullen/) > [If food was no longer obliged to make intercontinental journeys, but stayed part of a system in which it can be consumed over short…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlo-petrini/if-food-was-no-longer-obliged-to-make-intercontinental-journeys-but/) [Carlo Petrini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlo-petrini/) > [I know that nuclear is better than fossil fuels when it comes to carbon dioxide, but nuclear energy is by no means clean. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-crow/i-know-that-nuclear-is-better-than-fossil-fuels-when-it-comes-to/) [Sheryl Crow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-crow/) > [Centuries-old habitats such as coral gardens are destroyed in an instant by bottom trawls, pulverized by weighted nets into barren plains. And global carbon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-danson/centuries-old-habitats-such-as-coral-gardens-are-destroyed-in-an/) [Ted Danson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-danson/) > [Now, we put out a lot of carbon dioxide every year, over 26 billion tons. For each American, it's about 20 tons. For people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/now-we-put-out-a-lot-of-carbon-dioxide-every-year-over-26-billion/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Plate tectonics is not all havoc and destruction. The slow movement of continents and ocean floors recycles carbon dioxide dissolved in the oceans back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/plate-tectonics-is-not-all-havoc-and-destruction-the-slow-movement-of/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [Carbon dioxide pollution is transforming the chemistry of the ocean, rapidly making the water more acidic. In decades, rising ocean acidity may challenge life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigourney-weaver/carbon-dioxide-pollution-is-transforming-the-chemistry-of-the-ocean/) [Sigourney Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigourney-weaver/) > [It’s time to move the debate past the dogmatic view that carbon dioxide is evil and toward a world view that accepts the need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bryce/it-s-time-to-move-the-debate-past-the-dogmatic-view-that-carbon/) [Robert Bryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bryce/) [Browse all 263 Carbon dioxide quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carbon-dioxide/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I had thought fermentation was controlled death. Left alone, a head of cabbage molds and decomposes. It becomes rotten, inedible. But when brined and stored, the course of its decay is altered. Sugars are broken down to produce lactic acid, which protects it from spoiling. Carbon dioxide is released and the brine acidifies. It ages. Its color and texture transmute. Its flavor becomes tarter, more pungent. It exists in time and transforms. So it is not quite controlled death, because it enjoys a new life altogether. The memories I had stored, I could not let fester. Could not let trauma infiltrate and spread, to spoil and render them useless. They were moments to be tended. The culture we shared was active, effervescent in my gut and in my genes, and I had to seize it, foster it so it did not die in me. So that I could pass it on someday. The lessons she imparted, the proof of her life lived on in me, in my every move and deed. I was what she left behind. 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