Tobacco, angel’s trumpet and thorn apple – the Solanaceae family of nightshades comprises more than 2800 species, which are characterized primarily by their natural poison content. In addition to these inedible and highly toxic representatives, some of our common vegetables also belong to this plant family. What are the best
Ginger, the hot tuber, is one of the most powerful natural remedies for many disease(s), and can be used in various ways. There is new research showing that ginger is as good as turmeric. Ginger is not only more effective than the chemical cancer drugs used to kill cancer disease(s),
SenchaJapanese green tea Nothing is drunk more in Japan than green tea. Nothing has changed in over 1500 years, but culture and lifestyle have changed a lot. There are 3-4 tea harvests per year from April to September. The time of harvest depends on the respective region and the local
A variety of lactic fermented vegetables are produced in Japan, such as Amasake-Zuke (pickles in amasake), Miso-Zuke (pickles in miso), Nuka-Zuke (pickles in rice bran), Shio-Zuke (pickles in salt) and others . For centuries, pickles had been a very important vegetable dish, especially when there were no fresh vegetables in
Mochi 玄 米餅 are a very important part of Japanese food culture, they do not only play a role as a snack or sweet. Traditionally, mochi are made from Japanese sticky rice, called mochigome, this ceremony is called 餅 つ き mochitsuki, and it mainly takes place on the New
Sea vegetables have been consumed as food in European coastal regions since ancient times. In Japanese cuisine, sea vegetables are just as popular as garden vegetables. Especially in this day and age, when we have many problems with degraded and denatured food, sea vegetables can close an ever-increasing gap in
Wabi-sabi is an aesthetic concept that is very closely related to Zen Buddhism. It refers to the ability to see beauty with the heart. This Asian philosophy can help humble people lead happier and more fulfilling lives. The term Wabi-Sabi was introduced in the 16th century by the Japanese tea
Polyphenols belong to the phytamines. These are plant substances that are just as important for our health as vitamins. We can see and taste many polyphenols because they shape the color, smell and taste of fruit and vegetables. The main representatives are phenolic acids and flavonoids, as well as coumarins
The first forerunners of today’s miso can be traced back to around 500 BC. At that time, a fermented paste from soybeans was made in China, which was called Chiang (pronounced: “Dschang”). From China, miso was brought to Japan by Buddhist monks around the 7th century, where its production was
