Shailene Woodley Admits She Loves a ‘Semi-Rotten Flavor’
Shailene Woodley certainly has a unique approach to wellness. From eating clay, to sunning her nether regions, the actor has a pretty unorthodox routine. But the Big Little Lies actor isn’t just adventurous when it comes to her health practices, she’s also very adventurous with her diet. While she’s very conscious of where she sources her food, Woodley admits that she also will try just about anything. In fact, she’s developed a passion for all things culinary.
Shailene Woodley has a passion for food
Woodley’s passion for food actually goes well with her passion for agriculture and environmental sustainability. The Endings, Beginnings star takes great care to know where her food comes from. She also has invested time in learning about the natural properties that certain food, herbs, and spices can hold. The actor is fond of making tea from pine needles or even thyme. In an interview with Bon Appétit, Woodley got candid about her passion for food.
“For me, this whole process of food is so fascinating,” Woodley explained. “I love planting a seed and watching it grow and learning about what I can do to help ensure that it has a long life as a plant, and then harvesting the food and cooking it and seeing how I feel after I’ve eaten it. It’s a whole circle thing. I think it would be cool to go to culinary school and learn how to cook on a professional level, as well as have some type of interactive garden facility where people can learn about the entire process from start to finish.”
The movie star loves food with a semi-rotten flavor
Because Woodley is an actor, it affords her the opportunity to travel. Visiting other parts of the world helps her understand the culinary habits of cultures outside of her own. When the Divergent star was in Spain, she tried pig’s feet for the first time and ended up really loving it. Not only was it tasty for her, but she like how the gelatin sat in her stomach.
With such an adventurous palate, it’s probably not a surprise that Woodley also enjoys fermented foods. She listed a few of the ones she finds most delicious, citing their distinct flavor as something that she actually enjoys. “My favorite fermented foods are kraut and kimchi and kombucha, but the great thing about fermentation is that you can ferment just about anything,” she shared. “I sort of love that semi-rotten flavor, too.”
Woodley brings her own food to set
Woodley even makes fermented foods of her own from time to time. Though she travels quite a bit, if she’s in a place for a while, she invests time into fermenting her own food. “I make sauerkraut, kimchi, and kombucha if I’m in a stable environment long enough to do it.”
The actor even brings her own food to set. She chooses to forgo craft services in favor of bringing leftovers from home. What does a typical lunch look like for Woodley? “It usually has potatoes or sweet potatoes, a protein, and a vegetable. It’s an easy, quick thing to do every day, and then you can switch up the sauces depending on what you’re feeling like.” Clearly, Woodley is particular about what she eats. And while her diet may be unorthodox, it works well for her.
