Warming Food for Cold Winter
In cold weather, things naturally contract and the energy goes
down.
Some animals store extra fat, some hibernate.
Leaves fall to the ground, and plants grow under the ground.
We, human beings, also should follow this natural order.
That is, Eat more hearty foods and rest well.
1 Root Veggies, instead of salad greens & tropical
fruits
Modern diet tends to focus on only one aspect of nutritions,
“calorie” and “numbers”, and does not take into consideration
of season, environment or natural cycle & energy as a whole.
Just because orange, tomatoes or romaine lettuce or even
green tea does have some good nutrients and antioxidant
components, that does not mean that you should eat them all
around the year, especially when those plants are not
naturally available.
In fact, I see many vegetarians/vegans sneezing and running
nose this time of the season!
In winter, our body needs “warming and strengthening foods
(yang)” instead of “cooling, loosening foods(yin)”.
And root vegetables, such as carrot, daikon radish, gobo
(burdock root), kuzu root, parsnips, turnips, etc etc , are the
most suitable foods that the nature offers to us.
This winter, shed a light on those root veggies, make some
stew dishes or hearty bean soup with them for warmth, comfort
and strength : )
2 Jin’s pick --- this season’s “it” veggies
gobo – burdock root
Burdock root or gobo, has been used for a medicinal
purposes in Asia for centuries.
In Japan, people enjoy this earthy yet nutty flavor as comfort
food for everyday dishes.
Gobo can grow up to 4 to 6 feet under ground, and it is so
strong that if a rock is in the way, the root can penetrate it and
continue to grow!
So eating gobo is considered to give you an extra strength,
especially when you are sick.
Also, it gives you a sense of groundedness.
You can find gobo at health food stores or Asian groceries.
Soup, stew or stir fry & simmer with dashi stock, and enjoy!
Kuzu root (arrow root)
Kuzu root has also been taken as medicine for hundreds of
years in Asia, especially for digestive problems.
It is used as a starch, to thicken sauce or stew like gravy.
While corn starch or potato starch are more suitable for
summer meals since they are more “cooling(yin)”, kuzu starch
is perfect for winter meal for its “warming(yang)” effect.
Stir fry other vegetables and tempeh, add vegetable stock or
dashi with soy sauce or miso, and simmer.
Then add small amount of water-dissolved kuzu root to make a
hearty dish : )
Feeling like catching a cold?
Kuzu drink is a perfect drink for colds and flu.
Boil a tea cup of water or kukicha tea, add one umeboshi
plum, bit of soy sauce and water-dissolved kuzu root, and
drink while warm.
Craving for dessert?
Cook apples/pears/cranberry with water or apple juice/cider
with pinch of sea salt.
Add water-dissolved kuzu.
Fruits are usually “cooling(yin)”, and the sugar loosens the
digestive system, but kuzu and sea salt(both yang) give a
balance to it.---and enhances flavors : )
Kuzu root is also available at health food stores such as whole
foods.
* for water-dissolved kuzu, the ratio is kuzu 1 : water 2 to 3
* usually, very small amount, 1 to 2 tbs is enough
In cold weather, things naturally contract and the energy goes
down.
Some animals store extra fat, some hibernate.
Leaves fall to the ground, and plants grow under the ground.
We, human beings, also should follow this natural order.
That is, Eat more hearty foods and rest well.
1 Root Veggies, instead of salad greens & tropical
fruits
Modern diet tends to focus on only one aspect of nutritions,
“calorie” and “numbers”, and does not take into consideration
of season, environment or natural cycle & energy as a whole.
Just because orange, tomatoes or romaine lettuce or even
green tea does have some good nutrients and antioxidant
components, that does not mean that you should eat them all
around the year, especially when those plants are not
naturally available.
In fact, I see many vegetarians/vegans sneezing and running
nose this time of the season!
In winter, our body needs “warming and strengthening foods
(yang)” instead of “cooling, loosening foods(yin)”.
And root vegetables, such as carrot, daikon radish, gobo
(burdock root), kuzu root, parsnips, turnips, etc etc , are the
most suitable foods that the nature offers to us.
This winter, shed a light on those root veggies, make some
stew dishes or hearty bean soup with them for warmth, comfort
and strength : )
2 Jin’s pick --- this season’s “it” veggies
gobo – burdock root
Burdock root or gobo, has been used for a medicinal
purposes in Asia for centuries.
In Japan, people enjoy this earthy yet nutty flavor as comfort
food for everyday dishes.
Gobo can grow up to 4 to 6 feet under ground, and it is so
strong that if a rock is in the way, the root can penetrate it and
continue to grow!
So eating gobo is considered to give you an extra strength,
especially when you are sick.
Also, it gives you a sense of groundedness.
You can find gobo at health food stores or Asian groceries.
Soup, stew or stir fry & simmer with dashi stock, and enjoy!
Kuzu root (arrow root)
Kuzu root has also been taken as medicine for hundreds of
years in Asia, especially for digestive problems.
It is used as a starch, to thicken sauce or stew like gravy.
While corn starch or potato starch are more suitable for
summer meals since they are more “cooling(yin)”, kuzu starch
is perfect for winter meal for its “warming(yang)” effect.
Stir fry other vegetables and tempeh, add vegetable stock or
dashi with soy sauce or miso, and simmer.
Then add small amount of water-dissolved kuzu root to make a
hearty dish : )
Feeling like catching a cold?
Kuzu drink is a perfect drink for colds and flu.
Boil a tea cup of water or kukicha tea, add one umeboshi
plum, bit of soy sauce and water-dissolved kuzu root, and
drink while warm.
Craving for dessert?
Cook apples/pears/cranberry with water or apple juice/cider
with pinch of sea salt.
Add water-dissolved kuzu.
Fruits are usually “cooling(yin)”, and the sugar loosens the
digestive system, but kuzu and sea salt(both yang) give a
balance to it.---and enhances flavors : )
Kuzu root is also available at health food stores such as whole
foods.
* for water-dissolved kuzu, the ratio is kuzu 1 : water 2 to 3
* usually, very small amount, 1 to 2 tbs is enough
Whole Life with Jin