The goal was to keep these recipes simple. Wherever possible, we have used familiar ingredients. We understand that any change in diet requires a rethinking of old food habits; having to learn about new food products presents an additional challenge. You will find, however, that many of the recipes do include unfamiliar ingredients, products that have such strong health benefits and are so delicious that it is helpful to become familiar with them and use them on a regular basis. The following is a list of some of those items:
Farro: Farro is an Italian wheat eaten by Roman soldiers for its strengthening and energizing qualities. It has a pleasant chewy and nutty taste and can be cooked with brown rice or in stews.
Millet: Millet is a small yellow cereal grain traditionally used in Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe. It is usually cooked with sweet-tasting vegetables as a breakfast porridge, in soups, or as a dinner grain. It strengthens digestion, immunity, and vitality.
Mochi: Mochi refers to a Japanese rice cake made from pounded sweet or glutenous brown rice. It is pan-fried or simmered in soups and is used to strengthen vitality. It may also be shredded and melted on dishes like cheese.
Udon Noodles: These are Japanese wheat noodles. They have a nice light flavor and are free of chemical preservatives. Udon is usually served in a mild shoyu broth but may also be sautéed with vegetables.
Soba Noodles: These are Japanese buckwheat noodles usually made from wheat flour and about 40 percent buckwheat flour. They have a stronger flavor than udon and used to strengthen the intestines and vitality. Udon and soba are usually served in a mild shoyu broth but may also be sautéed with vegetables.
Amasake: This is a mildly sweet beverage made from fermented brown rice. It is energizing and strengthening and is often warmed before drinking. It is also used as a sweetener in desserts.
Un-yeasted Sourdough Bread: This is traditional style European bread made without baker’s yeast. It is naturally leavened using a starter made from flour and water that gathers naturally occurring lactobacillus and yeast from the environment. It usually has a mild sour taste. The best quality sourdough breads are made from stone ground organic flours. We recommend steaming it in a steaming basket until it smells like fresh-baked bread and cooling before eating.
Miso: Miso is a remarkable food and is most beneficial when used as a seasoning for soup. Once you get into the habit of using it, you will wonder how you ever managed to cook without it. Miso is a paste made of fermented soybeans, grains, water, and sea salt. Miso is a valuable source of proteins, B vitamins, and minerals. Miso also contains enzymes that aid digestion and strengthen blood quality. Miso soup acts as an antidote to stress by relaxing the nervous system. There are many different types of miso from which to choose. The best kind for daily use is barley miso, also called mugi miso. The other is brown rice miso. Sweet white miso is lighter in taste and will add variety to your meals. Many more types of miso are available and it is fine to use other varieties occasionally; however, for optimum health use barley or brown rice miso on a regular basis. It is important to use only miso that is natural (traditionally made) and that has been aged for two years. Make sure to buy this product at a health food store.
Shoyu: Everyone has used soy sauce, either at home or at a Chinese restaurant. Shoyu is simply traditionally made, naturally fermented soy sauce. What distinguishes it from regular soy sauce is the fact that it is not chemically processed. It is made from soybeans, wheat, sea salt, and water. Use shoyu with a light touch. Do not drown your food in it! Shoyu should be used only for cooking, not at the table. Keep it in the kitchen. Overuse leads to intense thirst and a strong craving for sweets. A small amount of shoyu goes a long way.
Tofu: Tofu, sometimes called bean curd, is made from coagulating soy milk with nigari (magnesium chloride), and pressed into a cake form. It is best steamed, boiled, or made into tofu cheese by mixing with umeboshi vinegar. We use it often or daily in our cooking and meal preparation. It is important to find organic, non-GMO tofu.
Natto: Natto is a fermented soy product with a sticky texture and unusual odor. It’s an acquired taste that makes you strong, brilliant, and beautiful. Natto strengthens digestion and vitality, cleans the skin, and clears the mind. It has unique qualities for strengthening the bones and for cleaning the cardiovascular system. Natto is eaten with rice, noodles, in miso soup or in sauces. It is often prepared by mixing it with chopped scallions, toasted nori, mustard, and shoyu and mixed together until sticky. It also combines well with sauerkraut.
Umeboshi Plums: Umeboshi is a salt-pickled plum that has both a sour and salty flavor. The red color of the plums comes from being pickled with shiso leaves. It aids digestion, strengthens blood quality, and is highly alkalizing. Umeboshi plum has the ability to neutralize the harmful effects caused by both animal foods and sugar. Umeboshi plum, or paste, is used to make sauces and dressings and is delicious on corn on the cob.
Umeboshi Vinegar: This vinegar is extracted from the Japanese ume plum. Sorry, I know we promised to keep it simple, but this vinegar is so delicious and so taste-enhancing that we thought you should become familiar with it. The use of umeboshi vinegar will help lighten your digestion.
Shiso Leaves/Shiso Powder: Another digestive aid, used as a condiment with grains or vegetables.
Brown Rice Vinegar: This is a mild vinegar made from brown rice. It has a mild, gentle taste and is very refreshing in light vegetable dishes and salads.
Sea Salt: Sea salt is evaporated from sea water and washed. We recommend unrefined, white sea salt. High-quality sea salt has a soft, mildly sweet taste before tasting salty. High-quality sea salt is as essential for health as it is for taste.
Sea Vegetables: Sea vegetables are the plants of the sea. Kombu and wakame are cooked in small quantities in soups or with vegetables or beans. Arame is a shredded leafy seaweed that has a mildly sweet taste. Hiziki is a stringy seaweed that has a strong and distinctive taste. Arame and hiziki are usually cooked with onions and carrots and other vegetables or tofu as a vegetable side dish. Toasted nori sheets are used as a garnish in grain dishes and soups and are used to make sushi rolls. Nori is probably the only plant source of vitamin B-12. All sea vegetables are packed with vitamins, minerals, and trace elements. They have shown to be protective against heavy metals, various pollutants, and radioactivity.
Kanten: Also called agar-agar, it’s a sea vegetable gelatin that is used as a thickener for fruit and vegetable dishes.
Jinenjo/Yamaimo: Sometimes referred to as “Japanese mountain yam.” A strong root vegetable that grows in the mountains, Jinenjo aids digestion and strengthens vitality. Jinenjo is usually grated raw, with toasted nori, chopped scalions, and shoyu. Typically served with a sauce over rice or noodles, or in miso soup, Jinenjo can also be cooked like a potato in soups or stews. Usually available in Asian markets.
Shiitake: Shiitake is a mushroom that grows on fallen oak logs. We recommend using sun-dried shiitake in soups and vegetable dishes. It helps reduce fat and cholesterol and promotes immunity and brain function.
Konyaku: Konyaku is a type of potato starch that is made into a rubbery slab and often mixed with kombu powder. It is cooked in miso or shoyu soup or in vegetable stews. The Japanese believe that it improves digestive health and may help with weight loss.
Kuzu: Kuzu is a root starch processed from the mountain-grown kuzu root in Japan. Wild kuzu is considered best. It is used as a thickener for soups, vegetable dishes, and desserts. It strengthens digestion, vitality, and immunity and is often used as a tonic drink for colds and fatigue.
We hope that you found this section helpful and that you enjoy using these ingredients. Once you become familiar with the ingredients, you will find it easy to improvise and come up with variations of your own. Good health is built on the choices we make daily. Don’t forget, every day, at every meal, make sure to have both a grain and a separate vegetable dish. Take one or two small bowls of vegetable soup daily. You will be amazed at how much better you will feel.