Sesame Tahini

A thick, creamy paste made from ground, hulled sesame seeds, it is used for flavouring everything from sauces and salad dressings to dips,  spreads, and baked goods.

Shitake Mushrooms

These mushrooms are loaded with nutrition and very powerful in lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels and to cleanse blood. Scientists have recently isolated substances from shitake that may play a role in the cure and prevention of heart disease, cancer, and AIDS. Shitake mushrooms can be found in natural food stores. They have an intensely earthy taste, so a few go a long way. It is necessary to soak the dried ones until tender, about 20 minutes before cooking (use the soaking water). Trim off the bitter-tasting stems. They are wonderful in soups, stews, gravies, sauces, and medicinal teas.

Soy Sauce

Traditional soy sauce (the same as shoyu) is the product of fermenting soybeans, water, salt, and wheat. Containing salt and glutamic acid, soy sauce is a natural flavour enhancer. The finest soy sauces are aged from one to two years, like tamari and shoyu, while commercial soy sauce is synthetically aged in a matter of days, producing a salty, artificially- flavoured condiment

Tamari

Tamari is a fermented soy sauce product that is actually the liquid that rises to the top of the keg when making miso. This thick, rich flavour enhancer is now produced with a fermentation process similar to that  of shoyu, but the starter is wheat-free. Tamari is richer, with a full- bodied taste, and contains more amino acids than regularsoy sauce

Tempeh

Tempeh is a traditional Indonesian soy product created by fermenting split, cooked soybeans with a starter. As the tempeh ferments, a white mycelium of enzymes develops on the surface, making the soybeans more digestible, as well as providing a healthy range of B vitamins. It can be used for everything from sandwiches and salads to stewsand casseroles.

Tofu (Soybean Curd)

Tofu is a wonderful source of protein and phytoestrogen and is very versatile. Rich in calcium and cholesterol-free, tofu is made by extracting curd from coagulated soy milk and then pressing it into bricks. It is used in everything from soups and stews to salads, casseroles, and quiches or as the creamy base to sauces and dressings.

Udon

These are flat noodles, much like fettuccine. Udon comes in a variety of blends of flours (from wholewheat, brown rice, lotus root, and unbleached white flour). I use the wholewheat variety.

Umeboshi Plums

These are Japanese pickles (actually green apricots) with a fruity, salty taste. Pickled in a salt brine and shiso leaves for at least one year (the longer the better), ume plums are traditionally served as a condiment with various dishes, including grains. Ume plums are reputed to aid in the healing of a wide array of ailments, from stomachaches to migraines, because they alkalize the blood. These little red plums (made red from the shiso leaves) add vitamin C and iron and make good preservatives.

Umeboshi Paste

This paste is a puree made from umeboshi plums to create a concentrated condiment. Use sparingly, as it is quite salty, but it is a great ingredient in salad dressings, sauces, or spread on corn on the cob.

Umeboshi Vinegar (Ume Su)

This is a salty liquid leftover from pickling umeboshi plums. Used as a vin- egar, it is great for salad dressings and pickle making.

Vinegar (Brown Rice)

This is a fermented condiment. While lots of vinegars exist, they can be very acidic. I use brown rice vinegar made from fermented brown rice, sweet brown rice, umeboshi vinegar (above), and balsamic vinegar. It’s great for reducing lactic acid in the body.

Wakame

A very delicate member of the kelp family, wakame is most traditionally used in miso soups and salads. It requires only a brief soaking and short cooking time, has a gentle flavour, and is a great way to introduce sea veg- etables to your diet.

Whole-Wheat Flour

A flour ground from wheat berries that is high in gluten. Good stone- ground flour retains  much of its germ and bran and thus  much more  of its nutrients than its unbleached, white counterpart, making it a healthier choice.

Zest

Also called the peel, the zest is the thin, coloured layer of skin on citrus fruit that imparts a fragrant essence of the fruit into cooking.

Replacements for a Healthy Transition

Instead of:

Baked goods

Black teas

White bread

Cheese

Meat

Meat stock

Milk

Pasta dishes

Iodised salt

White rice

Sugar

Scrambled eggs

Soy sauce

Use:

Sugar and dairy-free cookies and muffins

Bancha twig tea (kukicha) or other medicinal teas

Wholegrain, sourdough, or sprouted bread

Mochi (sweet brown rice) and finely grated and roasted tofu products

Tofu, tempeh, seitan (wheat meat), beans, and lentils

Miso, bouillon, dulse stock, or vegetable stock

Rice, oat, or almond milk

Wholewheat, rice, or spelt pasta or soba noodles

Natural sea salt

Short-grain brown rice or other wholegrain

Brown rice syrup or barley malt

Tofu (scrambles well)

Shoyu or tamari (both are naturally fermented soy sauce)