Profile: Simbiótica Fermentación, Mexico City

Tania Góngora (a food scientist) and Fernanda (‘Fer’) Iturbide (a sociologist and marketing expert) founded Simbiótica Fermentación in Mexico City in 2017. They divide responsibility between the fermentation science and marketing of their eight-year-old company, which now employs 18 people. They produce and promote a wide range of Mexican ferments. In addition to their fermented foods and beverages, they conduct research, offer education through workshops, and provide information on regular podcasts.
They recognize the importance of consuming fermented foods daily, whether to highlight flavors in a dish or for the benefit they can bring to our health. However, they caution that ferments are not a panacea but have different properties that can strengthen our body. They offer high-quality Mexican fermented foods with diverse flavors, crafted creatively and transparently at every stage, connecting the fields to the home. Their motto, “Naturaleza transformada con intención — “Nature transformed with intention” — highlights their commitment to the produce of the Mexican countryside and the farms contributing to organic, conscious food. Local producers and organic certification They are proud of sourcing supplies from local producers, such as Juan Diego Hernandez Cortes, whose family salt mill uses pre-Hispanic production methods. They source cabbage for kimchi from farmers in Tlaxcala. Other produce comes from Vivero Barrera in Xochimilco, a farm that promotes pesticide-free agroecology. Simbiótica has alliances with projects like Saniz Maguey, Centro Campesino A.C., La rifa chocolatería, and Cielo Dentro chocolatería. In January 2022 they were awarded Participatory Organic Certification (SCOP). This certification, recognized by Sagarpa-Senasica (Mexico’s National Service of Health, Food Safety, and Food Quality), ensures their commitment to agroecological practices and organic transformation, verifying the traceability of each ingredient used.