Raw Food means that the food consumed must be raw or not be subjected to more than 45ºC of temperature, in order to avoid the destruction of 80% of the vitamins and minerals and close to 100% of the phytonutrients and enzymes they contain, which is what is lost when they are cooked in the traditional way.
Hot recipes can be prepared, but respecting the maximum cooking limit so that the products do not deteriorate their qualities and nutrients.
But not everything can be consumed in its raw state, we all think of a salad.
What can be eaten on the raw food diet?
Fruits
Vegetables
Vegetables
Dried fruit
Seeds
Algae
Sprouts and sprouted grains
Grasses and herbs
Fermented foods
Cold-pressing oils
These raw and organic foods, served in their natural state, enrich and nourish us in a way that is considerably superior to other foods, helping to keep us healthy, full of energy and free of diseases.
There are even those who consider that the benefits go beyond the merely nutritional, since it involves a change in our lifestyle towards healthy and leads us to adopt a more conscious and responsible way of life with our environment, nature and respect for living beings.
What is Raw Veganism or Raw Veganism?
This is directly related to the vegan philosophy of which we have already spoken on other occasions, in fact there is also the raw veganism or Raw Vegan is a diet that excludes all foods and products of animal origin, any processed food or altered from its natural state. No food is cooked at a temperature higher than 46.7 °C.
It is clear that raw food has many benefits, such as increasing your body's energy levels, cleansing your skin of impurities and toxins giving you a more attractive appearance, slowing down aging by consuming antioxidants and losing weight by reducing fat intake.
In biological or anthropomorphic terms, the human diet is what humans are designed to eat naturally, i.e., a raw vegan diet of fruits, tender leafy vegetables and, occasionally, nuts and seeds.
Nikkei cuisine
But I would like to talk about a semi raw cuisine that was officially recognized as such in the 1980s and since then has acquired so much prestige globally that Nikkei cuisine is now understood as synonymous with Peruvian-Japanese cuisine.
Nikkei gastronomy arises from the mixture of Japanese and Peruvian cuisine. It is based on Japanese preparation and cutting techniques and on the profusion and character of Peruvian flavors. Like many fusion cuisines, it arises thanks to immigration and the mixture of cultures that it implies.
The term Nikkei refers to all emigrants of Japanese origin and their descendants.
A bit of history: in 1899, the first Japanese arrived on the shores of Peru as labor for the cotton and sugar haciendas, according to a treaty signed between the two nations. Although there are Nikkei all over the world, the Nikkei community in Peru is one of the largest: about 50 thousand people, 5 generations.
Japanese food was far from Peruvian food, both in terms of products and methods, but the expatriates had no choice but to rely on local food for their sustenance. Fortunately, Peru was a nation rich in rice, vegetables and fish, which greatly facilitated the process of adaptation and crossbreeding between the two cuisines.
All traditional Peruvian dishes became less spicy in Japanese hands. A little bit of sillao and kion (soy sauce and ginger) for almost everything. To emulate wasabi, they grated kion or added a little mustard powder.
The raw fish met the ceviche and made the long maceration times of the fish to be reduced from hours to the very moment of serving, with the fish as fresh as possible. And yet another step was taken. The juices from the ceviche were added to the sashimi cut, the onion was removed, and thus was born the tiradito, one of the most important creations of Nikkei cuisine.
It is surprising that when you return from a trip to Peru, what people talk about most (Machu Pichu aside, of course), is how good the food is, anywhere, whether it is in a picantería criolla or in a renowned restaurant: the combination of flavors is always delicious.
In Artigot we have had a Nikkei food corner for 5 years, with products such as:
- Salmon tartar with avocado and mango
- Shrimp tartar on lime
- Bluefin tuna spoon with pickles and avocado cream
- Sea bass and carabinero ceviche
And that it has unconditional fans, including us.
It's not going to be all vegan food!
