Healing Food Glossary

Agar Agar – A gelatine processed from a sea vegetable used in making kanten and
vegetable aspicsAmazake- A sweet, creamy beverage or sweetener made from fermented sweet rice
Arame- A thin, black sea vegetable
Adzuki bean- A small, dark red bean originally from Japan but now grown in the West

Bancha Tea – the twigs, stems, and leaves from mature Japanese tea bushes, also known
as kukicha.Barley- A whole cereal grain; the traditional staple of the Middle Eat and Southern
Europe.Boiled Salad- A salad whose ingredients are lightly boiled or blanched (dipped) in hot
water before serving.Bok Choy- A leafy green and white vegetable introduce to us from China
Bonito Flakes- Flakes shaved from dried bonito fish, used in soup stocks.
Brown Rice- Whole unpolished rice. Come in three varieties: short, medium, long grain.
Brown rice contains an ideal balance of nutrients and is the principal staple in macrobiotic
Cooking.Burdock- A hardy wild plant that grows throughout. The United States and abroad. The
long dark root is valued in cooking for its strengthening qualities.

Daikon - A long white radish that is used in vegetable cooking, condiments and pickling and
macrobiotic remedies.

Flame deflector- A round disc that is place under a pot or pressure cooker to distribute heat evenly and prevent burning.

Ginger - A spice, pungent golden colored root used in cooking and medicinal purposes.
Gomasio- Sesame seed salt made from dry roasting and grinding salt and sesame seeds
and crushing in a mortar.

Hato Mugi or Pearl Barley - This is not the so called “ pearled” barley, a kind of refined
barley. It is not really a barley at all. It is a pearl shaped seed of wild grass, also known as “
Job’s tears”Hiziki- A dark brown sea vegetable that turns black when dried.
Hokkaido Pumpkin- A round green or orange squash that is very sweet and harvested in
the fall. Native to New England, it was introduced to Japan and named after the island
Hokkaido.

Kanten - A jelled fruit dessert made from agar agar.
Kinpira- A style of cooking root vegetables first by sautéing, then adding a little water, and
seasoning with tamari/ soy sauce at the end of cooking.Kombu- A wide, thick, dark green sea vegetable
Kuzu- A white starch made from the root of a vine. Used as a thickener for soups, stews,
Desserts. Also known as kudzu.

Lotus Root - Root of the water lily. Brown skinned with a hollow, chambered off- white
Inside. Lotus root is used in many dishes and for medicinal preparation.

Millet - A small yellow grain that can be prepared whole, added to soups, salads and
vegetable dishes, or baked. A staple in China and Africa.Mirin- A sweet cooking wine made from sweet rice.
Miso- A fermented pate made from soybeans, sea salt and usually rice and barley. Used in
soups, stews and as seasoning.Mochi- A cake made from cooked , pounded rice.

Nabe - A traditional Japanese one- dish meal, prepared and served in colourful casserole
dishes and accompanied with a dipping sauce or broth of tamari/soy sauce and various
garnishes.Natto- Soybeans that have been cooked and mixed with beneficial enzymes and fermented
for 24 hours. A sticky dish with long strands and a strong odour. Good for improving
digestion

Nishime - Long, slow style of boiling in which vegetables or other ingredients cook
primarily in their juices. Gives strong, peaceful energy.Nori- Thin sheets of dried sea vegetable. Black or dark purple, then turn green when roasted over a flame. Used as a garnish, to wrap rice balls, in making sushi, or cooked with
tamari/ soy sauce as a condiment.

Pressed Salad - Salad pressed by pressing sliced vegetables and sea salt in a small pickle
press or with some weight like a heavy stone.
Pressure cooker- An airtight metal pot that cooks food quickly by steaming at high
temperature. Used primarily in macrobiotic cooking for whole grains and beans and
vegetables occasionally.

Rice Syrup - A natural sweetener made from malted brown rice.

Sea Salt - Unrefined salt obtained from the ocean.

Seitan - A whole wheat product cooked in shoyu, kombu and water. Used for stews ,
croquettes etc. Also known as wheat gluten or wheat meat.

Shiitake - A mushroom native to Japan but now cultivated in the United States as well.
. Used widely, dried or fresh, in cooking for soups and stews and in medicinal preparations.

Shoyu - naturally made soy sauce

Soba Noodles -made from buckwheat combined with whole wheat.

Suribachi - A serrated, glazed clay bowl or mortar. Used with a pestle for grinding and
pureeing food.

Tamari - Genuine” or “ real tamari” is a soy sauce like seasoning that is by-product of the
miso making process. It is stronger then regular shoyu or natural soy sauce.

Tempeh - A high protein soy product made from split soybeans, water and special bacteria.
Used in soups, sandwiches, and many other dishes.

Tekka - Condiment made from matcho miso, sesame oil, burdock, lotus root, carrot and
ginger root. It cooks down to a black powder when sautéed on a low heat for several hours.

Tofu - Soybean curd made from soybeans and nigari (crystallized from sea salt ). High in
protein and usually prepared in the form of cakes that may be sliced and cooked in soups,
vegetable dishes, salads, sauces, dressings and other styles.

Udon - Japanese style whole wheat noodles.

Umeboshi - A salted pickled plum usually aged for several years. Used as a seasoning, in
sauces and in macrobiotic remedies.

Umeboshi-vinegar - Also known as ume-su. The liquid that umeboshi plums are aged in.
Used for dressings, sauces and making pickles.

Wakame - A long, thin green sea vegetable used in making miso soup, salads and vegetable dishes