Exactly where your pumpkin spice kombucha sits today on the kitchen shelf, a bottle of achaar stood many moons ago. And much before any of us learnt to pronounce "sourdough" correctly, small bakeries in Bandra were serving gutli or kadak pao, a similar hard-crusted bread. Then, what is it that chefs and foodies are suddenly waking up to? Could it be an extension of the clean-eating and zero-waste food movements? Perhaps. Or does it have more to do with the West employing these ancient techniques, thereby reminding us of our roots? Whatever it is, fermenting and pickling are in.