Unlocking the Secrets of Japanese Food: Healthy Concepts and Wisdom

Text / Ellen Wan

Japan is the world’s leading longevity country, and the average life expectancy of its citizens has long remained at the forefront of the world. For a long time, the health and longevity of Japanese people has been considered to have a lot to do with the Japanese diet. The traditional Japanese diet, also known as “Japanese food”, contains healthy concepts and wisdom in terms of food material selection, dosage matching, and cooking methods.

As early as 2013, Japanese food, as a traditional Japanese food culture, was included in the list of intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.

Healthy Elements of Japanese Food Culture

The basic composition of “Japanese food” is one juice and three dishes. The first soup is miso soup, the three dishes are a main dish and two side dishes, and the main dish rice and a little pickles (pickles) are necessary.

The miso in miso soup is made from organic soybeans, rice, wheat and other grains, fermented with koji bacteria and salt. There are many varieties of miso, ranging from white, light brown to reddish brown in color, with rich sweetness, saltiness and sourness. The ingredients of miso soup are rich and varied. For vegetarians, you can choose spinach and tofu, onion and potato, cabbage and peas, radish and long onion, as well as mushroom flavors. For seafood flavors, you can choose clams, crab legs, small fish, etc.

The ingredients of Japanese miso soup are rich and varied. (Provided by the Ministry of Culture of Japan)

Main dishes include fish, eggs, meat and more. Fish is rich in protein, lipids, vitamins and minerals, and can provide various amino acids necessary for the human body, especially rich in leucine and lysine, which are high-quality proteins.

The side dish is composed of vegetables, taro and seaweed. Among them, ingredients such as kelp, seaweed, and wakame are rich in trace elements and dietary fiber, which are killers against high blood pressure and diabetes.

In a 2019 study published in the journal Plant Foods for Human Nutrition by Fuji Women’s University in Hokkaido, Japan, subjects who ate 200g of rice with 4g of wakame , blood sugar and insulin were significantly lowered in the latter 30 minutes. The results of the study suggest that consumption of wakame improves postprandial glucose homeostasis.

Pickles, also known as pickles, are pickled products and fermented foods, including white radish, cabbage, plums, cucumbers, carrots, etc.

Brown rice can be used for rice. Brown rice contains dietary fiber and vitamin B group, and is also rich in vitamin E, potassium, phosphorus and other nutrients.

cooking technique respect nature

The cooking methods of Japanese food are mostly steamed, boiled and cold salad, so that the cellulose, vitamins, minerals, and other active substances and medicinal ingredients contained in the food itself are less lost, which not only reduces the production of carcinogens, It also strictly controls the intake of oil, which is of great significance to health and longevity.

In fact, the Japanese diet generally has less oil, less salt, and less condiments. The principle of the diet is to keep all kinds of ingredients as original as possible, which reflects the Japanese spiritual culture of respecting nature.

The main condiments of washoku are miso, soy sauce, vinegar, sweet mirin, and fermented foods such as sake. There are many kinds of enzymes in fermented food, which can improve digestion and immunity. Enzymes are easily destroyed during heating, and many dishes in Japanese food do not require heating, so the content of enzymes is very rich.

Studies have also found that fermented foods can reduce inflammation in the body. A study published in the journal Cell in 2021 by a research team from Stanford Medical School in the United States showed that compared with subjects who ate a high-fiber diet, subjects who ate fermented foods had an increased diversity of gut flora, Inflammatory markers were significantly reduced, including IL-6, IL-10, IL-12b and other inflammatory factors. Among them, IL-6 is interleukin-6, which is a commonly used inflammatory indicator for chronic inflammation such as type 2 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

Junko Tokunaga, a doctor of medicine at the University of Tokyo in Japan, said in an interview with The Epoch Times that the Japanese diet pays attention to diversity and pursues nutritional balance. According to the concept of Japanese cuisine, the premise of cooking ingredients is not to destroy the nutrition of vegetables, and there are many types and small amounts. This kind of diet structure is the most ideal.

But she is also worried: “In recent years, the Japanese diet has also been influenced by the Western-style diet, and more and more refined white rice with high sugar content is used, coupled with irregular eating habits, and patients with lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes. The number of people is gradually increasing. If the current diet does not change, the health status and average life expectancy of Japanese people may not be optimistic.”

standing drink lower risk of death

Green tea is often paired with Japanese food, and the Japanese have long had the habit of drinking green tea. Green tea contains high levels of antioxidants such as catechins and vitamin C, which help prevent arteriosclerosis and reduce the risk of all-cause death.

A study published in the international journal “Stroke” in 2021 showed that green tea consumption was negatively correlated with all-cause mortality in stroke or myocardial infarction survivors. The researchers followed up 46,213 men and women (40-79 years old) for about 19 years. The data analysis showed that compared with stroke patients who did not drink green tea, stroke patients who drank 7 cups or more of green tea per day had a multivariable risk reduction of about 62%. %.

cutting art express the beauty of food

Japanese cuisine can also be used to appreciate. In addition to requiring fresh materials and emphasizing the original taste, Japanese food also pays attention to the art of cutting and display. It pays attention to the harmony and unity of color, aroma, taste and utensils, and also pays attention to visual enjoyment, requiring natural color, delicious taste, various shapes, and excellent utensils.

Japanese cuisine can also be used to appreciate. In addition to requiring fresh materials and emphasizing the original taste, Japanese food also pays attention to the art of cutting and display. (Provided by the Ministry of Culture of Japan)

The Japanese like to use seasonal flowers, plants, branches and leaves to embellish dishes, and tableware such as dishes and bowls also vary with different ingredients, so that people can enjoy the joy of the mood while enjoying the food.

Japanese food is highly regarded for its health, longevity, and low fat content. The number of Japanese restaurants overseas is also increasing year by year, and has spread to all continents of the world. According to Japanese official data, the number of overseas Japanese restaurants increased from about 55,000 in 2013 to 118,000 in 2017, and increased to 159,000 by July 2021. ◇