Based at the top of the Corkscrew hill, Savage Craic is a queer owned, cooperatively operated venture that supports local agriculture, environmental exchange and mutual aid. The venture was established in the Burren in 2015.
Story
Savage Craic produce a wide range of dynamic foods, handmade with a variety of microbial mates in glass or traditional ceramic crocks. They use responsibly soured fungi and flora grown and foraged locally. Their flagship product is Burren Kymchi, which uses local seasonal vegetables such as, cabbage, radish, swede, carrot, celeriac, Kohlrabi and fermented, Kimchi style. They also produce other products including Mighty Hot Sauce, Wild Irish Kraut, Happy Hippy kraut, various mustards, chilli oils, seasonal pickles as well as bespoke ferments for special events.
Fermentation is an ancient method of food preservation that also enhances the bioavailability of nutrients in food. It is possible to ferment almost any edible plant, fruit or vegetable in almost any combination. As much as 70-80% of our immune system resides in our gut. Including fermented foods in the diet helps to build gut health, improve digestion, prevent disease and reduce sugar cravings.
The Land
The Burren is often referred to the Fertile rock in reference to the rich soil, which has sustained it’s people for generations. The soils here formed on glacial material, which is made of crushed and ground-up rocks that were washed out from melting glaciers at the end of the last Ice Age, 17,000 years ago. The soils only started to form after the Ice Age, when the climate warmed and have continuously added organic matter to the glacial material since then, generating the ideal fertile soil.
Savage Craic use pine cones grown on the boggy soil that developed on the 320 million year old sandstone and shale of Poulacapple, and vegetables grown in the soils that developed on much younger sandy, well-drained calcareous glacial deposits at New Quay. These ingredients reflect local differences in the soils and geodiversity of the Burren.
For more information on Savage Craic, visit www.savagecraic.ie/