Natto

I don’t know how you think about the appearance, however, I must say, Japanese people grow up with this food. This is one of the very common dishes which is served in Japanese homes.

We have an old-saying that eating Japanese, rich and natto are one of the healthiest breakfasts! I don’t eat rice for breakfast, but you will see natto and rice are normally served with other eggs, miso soup at Japanese traditional hotels when you travel to hot springs in Japan.

I think you are eager to know what these black beans are… This is traditional Japanese food made from soybeans. Soybeans are a rich source of protein, and as a matter of fact, the miso soup, probably has been tried by everyone at least once in Japanese restaurants.

Hoshigaki

It is very common to see a variety of persimmons in supermarkets during the winter season in Japan. Hoshigaki are dried persimmons that are one of the common & popular dried fruits in Japan.

The persimmons which have dried for several weeks are MUCH sweeter than raw ones. Depending on the types of persimmons, the texture and sweetness varies. Originally big persimmons turn very soft and moist, so they are actually my FAVORITE! As you can see in the photo, the color remains bright beautiful orange or sometimes beautiful light yellow-orange. Smaller persimmons turn into a dark orange color with a somewhat hard texture, which is also good.

As other dried fruits, persimmons contain rich nutrients. Especially they are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. 10-15 Persimmons that are lined and packed beautifully are one of the common gifts to be used for any occasion, visiting relatives, friends, etc.

Healthy Living

Living healthy sounds easy because all you have to do is eat whole foods as much as possible, try to get seasonal ingredients from local supermarkets and enjoy cooking at home, and simply, just try to avoid midnight snacking and ice creaming!

here’s what we can do.

• Making healthy breakfast as a daily habit – musli with your favorite fruits, fruits plate with yogurt(my favorite), fresh smoothies, thinking about break fast is fun, isn’t it? I know you know that eating breakfast is very important and it helps to boost our energy and feelings throughout the day.
• Try and enjoy healthy snacking- snacking is good. It helps to control your hunger and your blood sugar level. One thing we need to keep in mind is that we have to snack something nutritious. East ad simple ideas that you can try today are for example, mixture of your favorite nuts: almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, and Hazelnuts are amazing; it protects your body against heart diseases, high blood pressure, Researcher show that eating nuts even slims down your body. A lot of people might think nuts are unhealthy. As a matter of fact, they are not. If you are at home on weekends, there are more snack varieties. Apricot cheese, crackers with chocolate hazelnuts spread and bananas, apple with peanut butter, Kale, almond milk, and banana smoothies, yogurt parfaits, bagels with ricotta cheese and your choice of fruits, the delicious list can go on and on.
• Drink as much as water as possible – it s important. It detoxes your body

having nice Chai while...

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Agedashi Tofu

Small bites to start your meal

Prep:15min | Total:40min

1 block soft tofu

+++ dashi sauce +++
2 Tbsp mirin
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sake
1 cup dashi

oil for deep-flying
1/2 cup flour
katsuobushi, grated ginger for toppings

LEAVE tofu on the tray covered with paper towels to drain about 10min --- then, Cut into 2-in. cubes

MIX all dashi sauce ingredients in a small pan with law heat...keep warm.

HEAT the oil in a heavy pot, dredge the tofu cubes in the flour and deep-fly tofu until the surface turns light gold -- maybe it takes 5 minutes or so

ARRANGE tofu in a serving bowl, pour the dashi sauce. Top with katsuobushi and grated ginger.