Recently in Asian Food Education Category

Everyone's seen the commercials by now. "Diet pills." "Lose 10 pounds in a week." "Eat anything you want and get skinny." "No need to exercise ever again."

There is a huge market for lose-weight-fast products, and for good reason- people want to get healthy. They want to find a real way to manage weight, and to maintain that weight, especially in a time when it's so easy to eat fast food and live a sedentary life style. But because the market is so big, it is riddled with scams, con artists, and untested diet products that have the potential to severely damage your health.

But we at AsianFoodGrocer are here to educate. We want to help you avoid the scams; we want to explain the science of weight loss, and show you how the scammers warp the facts to get your money. Today we're going to be focusing primarily on something called Glucomannan. You may have heard of it, and if you Google it you'll get just under a million results.

Glucomannan is a naturally occurring polysaccharide and a strong soluble fiber. It has the ability to absorb several times its weight in water, and many trials have been conducted to see how it affects weight loss. A lot of these trials have shown to be effective in aiding with the treatment of constipation, high cholesterol and obesity. The results of these trials have been out for a number of years, and for the last decade or two, Glucomannan has been packaged into a pill. It's been sold and misleadingly branded as a miracle diet pill that will fix all your weight problems almost overnight.

And here's the thing, Glocumannan does help to control weight- but not in the way that these companies were promising. You can see the complaint filed by the Federal Trade Commission as well as the lawsuit information here. Companies who were brandishing the diet pills as a miraculous weight loss solution were fined about 1.5 million dollars. The Australian Government banned the sale of the pills, and there were even incidents of choking hazards with the diet pills in Canada. As you can see, these companies took a product that had potential to help people lose weight, and they marketed it as a sensational diet pill that could control weight, regardless of a person's diet or lifestyle.

So here's how it all works. Glucomannan IS a powerful weight loss aid. It works by absorbing water and expanding within the stomach. The effect of this is that people who eat it feel more full, and they eat less food over the course of a meal. Adding Glucomannan rich foods into your diet means that you'll be eating less every time you eat. You'll be taking in fewer calories, less cholesterol, less sugar, and most importantly, less fat. In short, you're eating until you feel full, but you're still eating less than you usually do, so you're dieting without really being aware of it. Combine this with a decent exercise regiment as well as some tasty vegetables, and you'll be well on your way to better weight and health. You won't be losing 6-10 pounds a week as some of the scamming companies promise, but you will see results over time.

We don't recommend you take the diet pills though. They have a noted choking hazard, and there haven't been enough studies done to condone the use of Glucomannan by itself. So does that mean you should just ignore the stuff altogether? Of course not. Just eat it where it occurs naturally. Shirataki Noodles are a great source of Glucomannan. The noodles come from the konjac root in tropical and sub-tropical countries in Asia, and it has been common among Asians' diets for hundreds, even thousands of years in some places.

These noodles have been getting a lot of press over the last few years. They've been on the Dr. Oz show a couple times. Rachel Ray featured them, and a lot of dieticians are recommending them. We started carrying them because our customers asked for it, and the more we learn about Shirataki, the more we like it.

The noodles are pretty much empty. They have almost no taste- they have little to no calories, carbs or sugar. They have no fat, no gluten, and no cholesterol. But they're effective because they will take on the taste of whatever they are prepared with, whether it's garlic Parmesan, an Italian marinara sauce, or a hearty meat stew.

The idea is that you incorporate the Shirataki Noodles into your meals. Replace your typical high-carb noodles with them, pair them with your meat dishes, put them into your stir-fries and casseroles. You'll eat less of the actual meal, meaning you'll take in fewer carbs and calories, but you're still eating so that you're full. It's a handy way to eat foods that taste good, while avoiding the overeating that leads to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

Now, we're not going to make any wild claims about Shirataki noodles or Glucomannan. It is an effective diet tool, and it will help you take in less food- most likely the soluble fiber will even help maintain the health of your digestive tract. But it's not a problem solver by itself, you should still limit the fried chicken and the greasy fast food, and you should still exercise a couple times a week if you're expecting to see real, noticeable results.

The stuff won't magically cure heart disease or cancer, but it will help you get healthy, and a healthy body stands a much better chance against nasty things like cancer and disease than an unhealthy body.

The point that we'd like to stress is that diet and exercise is really the only way to achieve and maintain proper health and weight over time. Crazy diets and weight loss pills might shave off a few pounds for a week, but they won't keep it off, and they might even end up hurting you more in the end. We at AsianFoodGrocer encourage you to avoid the scams of lose-weight-fast products. And if you'd like a tool to help you eat less, then try incorporating Shirataki noodles into your diet- but most importantly, make an effort to get off the couch a few times a week. Your body will thank you, and the extra time you have on this Earth will be all the more wonderful because you earned it.

Japan has an ancient tradition of culinary dishes. From their spices, to their eating utensils, to their methods of cooking, the Japanese have enough history behind their cooking to have mastered almost any dish.

Today we're going to go over some of the various ingredients the Japanese use in their cooking, and the different results and recipes you can expect to get with these ingredients.

Soy Sauce

Soy sauce is one of the most obvious Japanese ingredients. Even though the Japanese didn't invent it, they still rely on it heavily. Soy sauce was originally made in China, by fermenting soy beans with salt and water. It's typically used as a condiment for rice and noodle dishes, and offers up a saltier, more savory flavor. People often use soy sauce for glazes, dips, barbecues, and various other meals. In Japan it is used very lightly, though in America we tend to overdo it a little bit.

Curry

Curry is another seasoning/meal that the Japanese didn't invent, but have widely adopted and made their own. It was even shown that each Japanese person had curry approximately 127 times in 2005. Curry is typically a spicy dish, often mixed with meat and vegetables, then served over rice. Other kinds of curry are served with breaded pork cutlet, fried rice, or even a raw egg. There are a wide range of instant curries available, curry powders, and easy to make curry dinners. It's pretty simple to make, and will offer a rich, hearty flavor to whatever you're pairing it with.

Dashi

Dashi is a common ingredient used to make Japanese soup. There are various types and styles available, depending on what soup you're trying to make. Dashi, at its most basic requirement, typically calls for kelp as well as some variety of fish. People often make their own by combining tuna flakes with kombu, as well as some spices, and sometimes even shiitake mushrooms. People often make their own home made dashi to avoid flavor enhancers like MSG or high sodium doses.

Yakiniku

Yakiniku is a unique style of barbecuing that was introduced to Japan post WWII. It is common in Yakiniku restaurants for raw food to be brought out to guests, and for the people to cook their own food using a grill at the table. Typically vegetables and meat are grilled, though beef is the main preference. There are various types of sauces associated with Yakiniku. The sauces can be similar to barbecue sauce, although with something of a lighter and less spicy effect to them. The sauces are typically made with mirin, soy sauce, garlic, and sesame.

Fish Sauce

Fish sauce is common across South East Asia, as well as some areas of China and Japan. It is a typical ingredient for soups, casseroles, sauces, curries, and noodle dishes. The sauces are strongly flavored, so they tend to be used lightly. It's commonly used as a condiment, though it can also used in cooking and food preparation.

Sesame Oil

Sesame Oil is used in a variety of different meals. Although it's usually added toward the end of the cooking process because sesame oil will begin to smoke at hot temperatures. It is popular for its health benefits, which include a good source of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, omega fatty acids. The sesame oils have also been shown to be effective in reducing cholesterol.

Furikake

Furikake is sort of like Japanese salt and pepper, and is commonly used to add a little flavor to plain white rice. It typically uses ingredients such as seaweed, sesame seeds, dried fish, salt, and sometimes MSG. It stores pretty easily, though it should be kept in a cool dry place to ensure that it lasts.

This is just a basic run through of the types of seasonings and flavors you might to expect in a run into while in Japan. Hopefully this will make you a little more savvy about the ingredients when you order from a restaurant.

Noodles have appeared in various cultures and cuisines across the globe. Although Asia has probably produced more types and styles of noodles than anyone. Because of that you may get lost in all the options that are out there. So whether you're trying to choose between a salty, savory ramen dish, or a spicy Sichuan dish, or a super healthy Shirataki dish, we'll help you out. And to make things easier, you can click on any of the photographs below to get a recipe for that particular noodle.

Ramen
Ramen noodles are probably the most widely recognized Asian noodles in America. They are available in both fresh and in package form, and come in an impossibly long list of flavors. The dish is normally a salty, savory meal, with noodles, broth, and possible toppings such as seaweed, corn, sliced pork, green onions, or fish. Ramen has skinny, Chinese styled wheat noodles, with a broth flavored either by a meat or fish base.

Ramen is a highly regionalized dish, with pretty much every corner of Japan offering its own take on the popular food. The ramen of today is not the same as it was in ancient Japan though. The name, ramen, wasn't even in popular use until the 1950's. But the dish's popularity really began to spread around the post war era when cheap flour became readily available in Japan, and when instant ramen was first invented.

By the 1980's Ramen was becoming a global phenomenon, and while fresh ramen may be difficult to find in the United States, especially if you live in a community without a Japanese population, instant ramen is almost impossible not to run into in most stores.

Shirataki
Shirataki noodles can be either dark and opaque, or light and translucent. Also they are sometimes prepared with seaweed for a higher iron content. They are versatile noodles made from the root of the konjac flower in Asia. The noodles come in various textures and styles, allowing them to be used in almost any fashion. They are famous for their diet benefits: a low fat, low calorie, low cholesterol, and high fiber content.

They are currently sweeping across the nation as the next big health food. They've appeared on many cooking shows and TV personality shows, such as Rachel Ray and Dr. Oz.
The noodles are pretty tasteless themselves, but they will absorb the flavors of whatever they are prepared with. Because of this they are often seen as a type of 'replacement noodle' where noodles with a higher fat content, such as egg noodles, can be replaced by the zero fat Shirataki noodle.

The noodles will also expand a little in your stomach, making a person feel more full than they really are. Because eating less is one of the best ways to get fit, the noodles have shown to be very effective in shaping diets and waist lines.

 

Udon
Udon noodles are thick, wheat flour noodles and are very popular in Japanese cuisine. They can be either square or round and they puff up when cooked much like Italian noodles, giving them a uniquely soft yet dense texture.

The size, texture, broths, and ingredients associated with the noodle vary by region in Japan, with manufacturers going as far as making instant Udon noodles that cater to different parts of the country. Typically a darker broth is enjoyed in the East, while a lighter one is enjoyed in Western Japan.

Udon was first introduced to the Japanese by the Buddhist priest Kukai around the 9th century A.D. when he traveled to China and returned with the noodle recipe.
The noodle is typically a low fat, high energy meal, with small amounts of protein, making it a popular on the go treat.

Soba
Soba Noodles are long and thin, and are made from buckwheat flour. Buckwheat is actually not wheat at all, and is classified as a pseudo cereal. The noodle dish is very popular in Tokyo, and can be served either in the informal setting of a fast food stand in a train station, or a high class expensive restaurant. Soba can be served either hot or cold. When eaten cold they are usually served alongside Tsuyu, a dashi based dipping sauce often filled with wasabi, sweet soy sauce, and scallions. Many people think eating the noodles cold allows for greater appreciation of the hand made noodle's texture, as eating it in hot soup changes the feel of it.

Soba, when eaten hot, is almost always eaten as a soup. The dashi used to make it is a lot thinner than the Tsuyu used for cold soba. Various meats and vegetables are served in soba, everything from duck, to fish cakes, to a single raw egg.

Soba noodles are noted for being high in energy, antioxidants, various essential nutrients like thiamine and riboflavin, and for containing all 8 types of amino acids necessary for human function. So while most noodles lack the nutrients to sustain a lot of health benefits, soba is able to offer a more complete dietary plan.

Vermicelli
Vermicelli Noodles in Asia are very different from the vermicelli noodles consumed in Italian dishes. The Italians make their with wheat, and make thicker noodles, while the Asians usually use rice flour.  The noodles in Asia are also known as Rice Sticks, Rice Vermicelli, or Rice Noodles.

These are popular diet noodles, not only due to their fat free, cholesterol free, and low sodium content, but also for their incredible diversity. They can go with almost any meal, whether it's meat, rice, stir-fry, stir fry, pad thai, soup, or salad. Additionally, they have little flavor on their own, and will take on the flavor of whatever they are cooked with.

Egg Noodles
Egg noodles are very common throughout Asia. They are generally made by blending wheat flour, cornstarch, salt, oil, and of course egg. The added egg offers a more rich and robust flavor, texture, and color. When made fresh, the noodles are made very long to symbolize good luck and longevity in Chinese tradition.

Countless Chinese dishes specifically call for Egg Noodles. The most popular Egg Noodle meal here in America is Chow Mein, which can be found at any Chinese restaurant. Egg noodles are made to cook fast. When done cooking, the noodles become slightly chewy and are dunked in cold water to stop the cooking process, much like what you would do when making caramel.

Hofan
Ho Fan noodles are a wide and flat Chinese rice noodle similar in taste to the vermicelli noodles found in Pad Thai or Vietnamese Pho. Ho Fan noodles are white in color and are very slippery when cooked, making it difficult to eat them if you aren't skilled with chopsticks.

Using a fork helps A LOT when trying to catch these slick morsels. Their texture is stretchy and a bit chewy. They can normally be found in many Asian dishes such as Thai Pad, Pho noodle soup, and Chinese Chow Fun. Ho Fan Noodles don't have very much taste themselves but much like vermicelli they will absorb the flavor of whatever sauce they are cooked in.

Sichuan
Sichuan noodles, or Szechuan as they're spelled in the states, are named after the providence in China from which they originated, Sichuan. The noodles themselves are not very unique and are similar to udon in their texture, and in that they are a high energy noodle with a good deal of protein. However the taste of the Sichuan noodle is infamously spicy. They are often served with chilies or a spicy peanut sauce to really make the dish hot. The noodles are very versatile and can be worked into most meals, whether it's served alongside meat, vegetables, broth, or rice.

We hope this noodles blog helps to inform you about what noodles might be best for your needs. So whether you're looking for a healthy, low fat shirataki noodle dish, a savory, salty bowl of ramen, or just some good old fashioned Udon noodles.

Red Beans are one of the most common dessert ingredients across Asia. They're pretty healthy, they taste great, and they're not very expensive. This makes them an easily accessible dessert enjoyed by many people across various social and economic classes.

Red beans are traditionally turned into a Sweetened Paste. People do this by boiling the beans with various sugars or herbs to enhance the taste. Then they take the boiled beans and mash them down into a paste. The beans are sort of sweet by themselves, but by adding your own tasty ingredients you can really make the flavor of these beans shine.

Once the beans have been boiled and mashed, they're ready for a thousand different recipes. The paste can be used to go inside a Mochi Ball, or some Sweet Bread, or it can be used as a spread on Pastry Items. It can be used to flavor ice cream, or some Agar-Agar, which is sort of like Japanese jello. Or you can even use it to make various soups.

You may also notice that red beans are referred to as either Azuki (also spelled adzuki), or ogura. Azuki and ogura are similar, but they're not the same. Ogura generally refers to the beans after they've been mashed and sweetened. Azuki usually refers to beans that haven't undergone this process.

The beans are high in fiber, soluble fiber, protein, iron, and complex carbohydrates. This makes them a very important food item because they help with energy, blood health, digestion health, and muscle health. Try some of our Recipes, and experiment with this wonderful ingredient yourself.

Americans have a long and devoted history with deep frying. We deep fry our chicken and our fish. We deep fry our hot dogs and our donuts, and even our ice cream! But all this deep frying hasn't been too kind to our bodies. If only there was a way to enjoy our favorite deep fried food, but not be so unhealthy... Oh wait, there is!

The Japanese love deep frying too, but they call theirs tempura. And instead of using flour, they use bread crumbs.

 

Panko Bread Crumbs are one of the most popular types to use. Panko bread crumbs absorb less oil than flour, and this results in a lighter, healthier meal that has just as much of that satisfying crunch. You can also try it on a casserole, crab cakes, or any type of meat.

Potato starch is another good substitute for flour because it's gluten free. There is Seasoned Potato Starch for a fuller flavor, but if you're really looking for a slimmer, healthier alternative, you should stick with the unseasoned. Potato starch is also a great thickening agent. You can use it to add a little texture to soup, or pudding, or you can mix it with spices to even out the flavor and prevent over-spicing. Use it for pancakes or cupcakes as well for a leaner, healthier effect.

Sweet Rice Flour is another healthy option preferred over normal flour because rice flour generally doesn't contain gluten. This makes it a better option for people who have diabetes, or who are trying to lose weight. You can also use this to make delicious mochi, or as a thickening agent for pudding, or various soups.

Now, you may notice that we've been hating on flour a little bit in this blog. But the problem with flour is that it has gluten in it, and the body turns that into glucose. Glucose is a type of sugar, and an essential energy source for the function of the human body. But too much glucose can lead to serious problems like diabetes and other related issues like blindness, kidney failure, nerve damage, blood clots, and even strokes. So it's fine to eat all those tasty things you enjoy, but look for ways to substitute out the harmful elements for something that's a little better for you.

We encourage you to experiment with our bread crumbs, potato starch, and rice flour to find the perfect recipes for your soup, pudding, and everything you love to bake or fry.

 

A lot of us go on a diet in the summer to look good while we sunbathe on those beautiful beaches. But we at Asian Food grocer encourage you to maintain this healthy diet year round. Diets don't have to be difficult either. You can still have your favorite snacks too, but you've got to make healthy food a staple in your everyday meals.

We've outlined a couple foods that will help you keep your health, your sanity, and enough money in your wallet for a summer vacation.

Shirataki Noodles:

You've probably heard us blab on and on about how wonderful these noodles are, but we really can't say enough good stuff about them. They're extremely adaptable. You can use them in place of almost any pasta, and you can use them to complement most meat, stir-fry, or soup dishes. They're glutten free, low carb, low in calories, free of fat, cholesterol, and sodium, making them the perfect diet noodle! They'll expand in your stomach to make you feel more full too, so you'll end up eating less.

Miso:

Miso is famous for being in soup, such as miso soup. (Duh...) But most people don't understand the dietary and health qualities that miso can offer. It's great for aiding digestion, and it helps to lower the LDL cholesterol. It's been known to help prevent certain types of cancers, and strengthen the immune system, and best of all, it's almost fat free. Miso isn't very expensive, and a lottle goes a long way. Plus it's got a very long shelf life, so it's unlikely you'll be wasting any due to spoilage.

Seaweed:

I bet you didn't see that one coming. Seaweed is a surprising contender in the battle for good health. It's loaded full of vitamins, including the ever important complex B vitamins, which are great for lowering blood pressure, cholesterol, and promoting overall brain and circulatory system health. This is yet another food that is very adaptable. It's famous for being in sushi rolls, but it's commonly eaten by itself like potato chips. It is also frequently used as a garnish to decorate foods, or even as a spice that is sprinkled on plain rice meals. It's low in fat, cholesterol, sodium, and calories.

Tofu:

Tofu is another health food that is highly adaptable. It can be used to complement almost any meal. You can fry it, boil it, use it in a salad, put it in soup, serve it with your pasta, or whatever you can imagine. Tofu is protein rich, making it a great meat substitute, and it's low in fat, sodium, and cholesterol. Tofu is pretty inexpensive too, so making a meal out of it won't cost much at all.

The point we're getting to with this blog is that good health doesn't have to be hard to maintain. And you don't have to starve yourself to stay on a diet. There are all kinds of great tasting alternatives to the typical greasy, fast food meal. So skip the burger and check out our free recipes section!

Many people don't know it, but Seaweed is actually extremely healthy for you. It is rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. It's been shown to be good for the digestion, as well as the circulatory system. Seaweed is filled with more nutrients than many of the plants and vegetables that grow on land.

The reason for this is that there are a lot of healthy nutrients floating around in the ocean water. These nutrients get absorbed by the seaweed, and so the plants become like little sponges that suck up all these healthy vitamins and minerals.

Seaweed is commonly used with sushi to make various types of rolls, such as maki, nori, or California rolls. But it also has other applications too. It's often used in Furikake, a type of Japanese seasoning typically used on plain white rice. It's also used in many types of Soups to add texture and flavor. Or you can even eat seaweed by itself in place of unhealthy potato chips. Seaweed is also used to make Agar-Agar, which can be used to make a healthy gelatin used for deserts.

One of our most popular seaweed products is the pack of Fujikko Konbu Maki Dried Kelp Rolls. They are strips of seaweed, rolled over on each other, and tied by a guard strip. They're common on holidays and special occasions.

There are various types and styles of seaweed as well, and they're used for various purposes. Here are a few.

Nori - Nori is one of the most common types of seaweed. It's the kind that is used in sushi, roasted and eaten like potato chips, and also used as a garnish to decorate food.
Kombu - Kombu, or konbu, is used in soup. It adds a complex, savory, salty flavor. It is used as dashi to flavor to soup and broth, but is often removed before the soup is served.
Wakame - Wakame is sweeter and a bit more slippery than kombu. This is the kind of seaweed used in miso soup. It is also used in salads and is served with tofu.
Seaweed Paste - Seaweed paste is usually added to plain white rice or simple dishes to add flavor. Depending on what is added to enhance the flavor, it's typically very healthy.

Check out these recipes below for some ideas on how to cook with seaweed.

Shiitake Mushrooms are famous for their full flavor and their positive impact on health. They've been used in Asian cuisine and medicine for about the last 6000 years, in soups, teas, and various herbal remedies.

Many people think that mushrooms are vegetables, but in reality they're a unique type of fungus. Because of this they're extremely easy to grow, and don't require a lot of resources like water and nutrients to develop. This makes it a sustainable food for earth conscience eaters.

There are a lot of reasons to eat shiitake mushrooms. First of all they've got a great taste, which can compliment most foods- from pastas, to soup, to most meat dishes.

But they're also incredibly healthy. Shiitakes have high levels of complex B vitamins, which help with cardiovascular health. These  mushrooms are also known to reduce cholesterol and help the body fight certain types of cancer. They're also about as high in iron as typical meat, which makes them a great staple for a vegetarian diet, or for anemics.

Take a look at the recipes below to try out your skills with shiitake mushrooms.

Arame-Stuffed Mushroom Caps

Grilled Sesame Seed Steak Strips With Vegetables

Tuna Flakes might sound like sort of a weird concept. We've all heard of tuna sandwiches, and most people might have tried tuna in the form of sashimi, or a sushi roll. But tuna flakes?

Well, tuna flakes are dehydrated slices of tuna. They are very light, and look sort of like tiny shreds of paper, and are actually a very versatile ingredient. They're commonly used in soups as a sort of flavor enhancers. They can also be used as a garnish to increase the aesthetic appeal of a dish, or in spring rolls, or even in the place of tuna in a tuna sandwich. And if you still can't get your head around the concept of tuna flakes being tasty, maybe your cat can. Some of our customers have dubbed tuna flakes as "Kitty crack." Cats seem to love the stuff, so if you're not interested in a delicious soup or spring roll, consider the taste buds of your feline friends.

Tuna is also an extremely healthy food to eat. It's high in protein, full of fish oils (duh), which have been associated with better cholesterol and blood pressure levels, as well as overall circulatory system health. It's also low in fat and calories. The FDA even recommends eating up to 12 ounces of fish a week, so eat up!

If you're interested in some tasty, healthy soups, then consider trying these recipes with your tuna flakes.

Miso Soup

Dobunmushi

Japanese Bread is a Staple of Asian Food



Although Japan is best known as the land of sushi, rice, and tea, Japanese  bread is quite popular as well.

The sweet bread of Japan functions as a light Japanese dessert, not unlike the English scone or French baguette. In fact, the Japanese enjoy nibbling on sweet bread with a cup of tea or as a light snack on the run.

How to Buy Japanese Bread

If you are traveling in Japan and ask for Japanese bread, don't be surprised if you don't find it. The Japanese call bread "pan." Also, if you see the popular "melon pan" be advised the term refers to the bread's shape and not the flavor.It's delicious just the same though, so if you want to try some, check out our Daiichipan Melon Pan bread.

Asian Pastries Make Like Japanese Dessert or Lunch Item

With flavors like strawberry pan, chocolate pan, and cream pan, the sweet bread can make a satisfying Japanese dessert. However, this Japanese bread also comes in cheese pan and red bean pan if you are looking for a more savory lunch item.


Whether you are in the market for sweet bread or just some delicious Japanese food and recipes, check out AsianFoodGrocer.