2019/09/15

Our bodies are made of what we eat.
In search of authentic ingredients. A column introducing traditional Japanese seasonings.

~About sweets~ White sweets and brown sweets

What do you think tastes good with white rice?
When I asked my students, they said it has a strong, sweet and spicy taste! The sweet and spicy taste of "soy sauce + sweetener (sugar)" goes well with white rice, and makes you want to eat it. It is a favorite taste of Japanese people, and it is the base of all simmered dishes, sukiyaki, and teriyaki. The deliciousness of this sweet and spicy taste is a recent taste. In the past in Japan, sugar and mirin were expensive, so simple seasonings were the norm.
When I went on a trip to a farm in France some time ago, I was taught how to cook, and I learned that sugar is rarely used as a seasoning in everyday cooking, and instead, it is a culture to eat sweet desserts after meals. I remember being impressed by how French cuisine makes the most of the ingredients. The dessert was extremely sweet, and I was surprised at how big it was (lol).

"Is sugar bad for you?"
The answer is, I hope you stop if possible. If it's difficult to suddenly stop using white sugar, I would like you to try not to use it in the first place. This is because, unlike other seasonings, white sugar has various negative effects on the body. Some of the well-known effects include tooth decay, skin aging due to glycation, fatigue, constipation, and irritability. Recently, there have been many movies and books that convey the harmful effects of sugar on the body, such as "Sugar Blues," "The Story of Not-So-Sweet Sugar," and "Quit Sugar and Become 10 Years Younger." I will summarize this in a future article.

Do you know the difference between white sugar and brown sugar?
This is the difference between being refined and highly pure, or containing a variety of ingredients.
If you try eating white sugar such as granulated sugar and brown sugar, you will find that white sugar has a clean, lean taste, while brown sugar has a rich, savory flavor. This unique savory flavor is the difference in nutritional value of minerals and vitamins.
By consuming sweets that contain these minerals and vitamins, the effects on the body will be reduced. (Note: Excessive consumption of sweets, whether white or brown, is not recommended.)
However, many older people choose brown sugar because they believe it is safer for the body, but brown sugar is made by boiling down the sugar liquid and caramelizing it to turn brown, so in fact most of the minerals have been removed. If you have a choice, I recommend brown sugar.

What are the brown sweets?
Other brown sweeteners besides brown sugar include mirin, maple syrup, rice syrup, honey, etc. If you are using them in cooking, start by replacing white sugar with these sweet seasonings.
I'll be introducing each flavor in more detail later.

In our classes, we avoid sugar and mirin as much as possible, and use cooking methods that make the most of the natural flavor and sweetness of vegetables to improve your body and taste. Sugar-free cooking is also recommended for children's minds, bodies, and taste development. First of all, why not try reducing sugar in your daily meals and making the most of the flavor of the ingredients?

~Careful food, lifestyle and travel~
International Medicinal Food Practitioner and Macrobiotic Instructor KYOKO

In our classes, we place great importance on both cooking and thinking skills. From a multifaceted perspective, including medicinal foods, macrobiotics, nutrition, physiology, intestinal environment, and raw food, students learn how to select and cook ingredients that suit their physical condition, constitution, and the season. We also hold macrobiotic classes to learn basic Yin Yang cooking, classroom classes to properly understand and master the Yin Yang and Five Elements, and medicinal foods classes using organic ingredients.