The Department of Food Science and Nutrition presents its spring 2025 seminar series featuring Sarah Ku, assistant professor of sustainable business management at Loyola University, who will give a presentation on “Fermented Foods and Kombucha Brewing Workshop.” This seminar will take place on Thursday, January 30, from 12:45–1:45 p.m. over Zoom.

Abstract

In this workshop, I will talk about fermented foods and teach how to brew kombucha (fermented tea). I’ll talk briefly about the background of fermented foods, the general process, and benefits of consumption. This will be interactive, so anyone who wants to learn can come and do parts of the process! Anyone who is interested will have the opportunity to sample some fermented foods. I will have extra SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) for folks to take home if they would like to kickstart their own kombucha brewing at home. Disclaimer: I am sharing homemade food in good faith. These foods were prepared in clean conditions in a home kitchen so please take responsibility for your own personal and dietary needs. I will clearly label all ingredients and please feel free to ask if you have any questions about the ingredients/processing. Kombucha contains very slight amounts of alcohol, so if you have any dietary/religious concerns, please be responsible for your own consumption.

Biography

Sarah Ku is a tenure-track assistant professor of sustainable business management at Loyola University. This position is jointly appointed between the School of Environmental Sustainability and the Quinlan School of Business to help bridge these disciplines together. Sarah spent several years starting and running a medical device company before completing her Ph.D. in international business and marketing at Georgia State University. Her research examines sustainability and equity in business, and she is particularly interested in managing organizational food waste, circular strategies, and incorporating insects as innovative opportunities for sustainable business. Her overarching research objectives focus on identifying how small-scale, decentralized strategies can become standard business practice through mindful, equitable, and cooperative collaborations. In her spare time, she loves fermenting foods (e.g., kombucha, hot sauce, kimchi) and loves to share tips and techniques to help others make foods to improve gut health!