Founder
Markus Shimizu
- Discipline
- Founder
Portrait of Markus Shimizu
i. Biography
Fermentation work depends on timing, texture, and control over change, and Markus Shimizu approaches it with that discipline. At Choco Chef Lab, he teaches from the standpoint of process. In Berlin, his association with mimi ferments places that same attention on production, where simple materials are worked until they hold more depth and structure. Berlin Weißensee gave Shimizu a formal ground in craft, flavor, and precision. That education matters in fermentation, where small variables shape the outcome and patience is part of the method. Since 2017, his work has developed through mimi ferments, and since 2021 he has also taught at Choco Chef Lab, a pairing that keeps practice and instruction in the same frame. Today Teaching and production sit side by side in Shimizu’s current practice. At Choco Chef Lab, fermentation is handled as technique and method; through mimi ferments in Berlin, it is extended into ongoing work shaped by preservation, balance, and time. The result is a practice built on measured change rather than speed.
Career - Founder / fermentation producer, mimi ferments, Berlin Moabit (2017–present) - Fermentation instructor, Choco Chef Lab, Berlin (2021–present) Education: Berlin Weißensee
Signature
Markus's signature dishes include miso, soy sauce, shoyu, mirin, and natto. These are foods that speak in low, resonant tones rather than loud gestures: richly savory, complex, and shaped by time. In his hands, they suggest an understanding of fermentation not as niche technique, but as an entire culinary language, one capable of carrying both tradition and personal expression.
In Their Words “In Japan, life revolves around food. People like to go out to eat and to eat well. This mentality is still in its infancy in Germany -- if it ever fully develops at all.”
Acclaim
The comparison he draws is direct: in Japan, food sits closer to daily life and public habit, while in Germany he sees that culture as still developing. Markus Shimizu uses that position to frame fermentation as part of a wider food culture, not as a separate specialty. The quote places his work inside a larger argument about taste, learning, and the habits that sustain them.
FAQ What is Markus Shimizu's current role? Markus Shimizu is Fermentation instructor. Where did Markus Shimizu train or study? Markus Shimizu trained at Berlin Weißensee.
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