by Assunta Ng
Northwest Asia Weekly
When you see the word “Himalaya”, the first thing that probably comes to mind is mountains. The last thing I think about is food.
Not long ago, a tutorial on YouTube said that mixing Himalayan salt with turmeric and sesame oil could improve gum health. Oh, really! I have no problem with my gums but could be better.
Is there such a thing as Himalayan salt? I forgot about it until a few weeks later when I stumbled across Himalayan salt on the top shelf at Lam’s Seafood. Later, I saw Himalayan salt on the bottom shelf of Uwashimaya.
Is the epidemic related to my growing appetite for weird foods?
In fact, it does. We weren’t allowed to go out and do fun things during Covid, so I ended up trying different types of food from the supermarket. This is my excuse to get out of the house and exercise at the same time. Sorry, online store, you won’t get my business. I have been boycotting you for the past 24 months.
Himalayan Salt
Photo by Assunta Ng
I may never go to the Himalayas in my life. But I love trying something from those majestic mountains. I googled Himalayan salt and asked my periodontist who is Indian American. He assured me it was a whole food.
Himalayan salt is better than regular sea salt, which is a disturbing factor. Common sea salt comes from the ocean. “Ninety percent of sea salt contains microplastics,” Dr. Berg said on his YouTube channel. “Plastic is toxic to the brain.”
“However, Himalayan salt, [has] Zero plastic, because sediments made of salt came from ancient oceans before plastic. “
How does Himalayan salt taste? good. It has the same salt content as sea salt. But its color is a nice translucent pink. The color is very eye-catching. Its texture is uneven in size and the crystals are much larger than processed sea salt.
Himalayan salt is everywhere. They are available in Asian and non-Asian supermarkets, including QFC.
Next time you throw any plastic bottle into the sea, think twice. One, you are harming our environment. Second, if you are a sea salt consumer, you may end up cooking and consuming sea salt at mealtimes.
salmon maw
Steamed black cod surrounded by salmon belly (Photo by Assunta Ng)
The other day, a customer at Uwashimaya asked the murloc to cut off his belly because he wanted meat, not a belly. The client doesn’t know what he’s missing.
My husband happened to be standing by the fish counter and said, “I’ll take it.”
The belly is for me because I love salmon belly. Years ago, supermarkets used to throw away the belly. Now, they can sell it and make money.
Consisting of omega-3 fats, B vitamins, potassium and selenium, salmon is a great source of protein. These nutrients are good for your heart and brain. My husband likes to buy salmon fillets, including a big belly. Sometimes it’s not easy to find salmon with belly on the side. I like the belly and he likes salmon meat. what to do?
In Uwashimaya, we can get salmon maw for much less than salmon fillet. However, I don’t want to just have a plate of belly without salmon meat. It’s nice to have both.
How do we cook it? Salmon cooking pro, my husband microwaves the salmon meat and salmon maw together for about two minutes, adding a little soy sauce to thin with water to reduce the salt content. Ok!
organic eggs
With inflation on the rise, organic eggs can cost over $6 a dozen, while regular eggs cost around $2-4. Before Covid, I wouldn’t pick organic eggs from local small farmers because they were expensive. Now, supporting local farmers is my philosophy. Since I’m not traveling anywhere, the travel money goes to my food budget. And I don’t shop either. I don’t consider buying more as a treat for myself. So we invest in our health by buying healthy food.
Do organic eggs taste better? The truth is, I can’t tell the difference. I love eggs, period. And knowing that these chickens are naturally raised and antibiotic free, I’m all for it.
green cauliflower or romanes
Romanesco in Pike Place Market (photo by Assunta Ng)
Actually the flowering head of a plant, it’s called broccolo romanesco, Roman cauliflower, or Roman cauliflower.
Broccoli should be more nutritious and rich in fiber, which aids red blood cell growth. It may be a hybrid that, after cross-pollination, developed into a new vegetable variety. Do they taste better than regular cauliflower or broccoli?
Green cauliflower (photo by Assunta Ng)
Not really. It also takes longer to cook to soften it.
Both broccoli and cauliflower have anti-inflammatory properties. If you don’t want to eat both of them together at mealtime, it seems wise to eat cauliflower.
Unfortunately, they have a short growing season and now that supply chains are affected, green cauliflower can be hard to find. However, I recently saw it at Pike Place Market.
pink lemon
Photo by Assunta Ng
Pink lemons were discovered in Burbank, California in 1930. I bought one a few months ago because I was curious about the word “pink”. It tasted less tart and a little sweeter, more like grapefruit. This is my lemon for tea and other foods.
Pink lemons contain high concentrations of lycopene, an antioxidant that gives fruits and vegetables their red pigment. However, they are not always available in stores.
They are considered a professional. You may have to find them in specialty stores.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, no matter how delicious the food is, if it is not healthy, I will think twice. If I buy them impulsively, they may stay on the shelf or refrigerator in my house for a long time after I take a few bites. Yes, I have become more health conscious than ever.
Covid is the perfect time to develop good new habits. You could call it discipline. I’m not afraid of dying, but I hate being sick in the hospital and like many Covid patients, the tubes go through my throat and lungs. And those patients who have been infected with the new coronavirus for a long time and later suffered so many side effects, it is not worth the risk. Food is healing. If you don’t believe it, try eating chips and drinking soda every day for a month and you’ll see what happens to your face and body. Your skin ages quickly. Any food that gives me nutrition and more immunity, I will look for it. If they have good taste, I would advocate for them. If they’re easy to cook, that’s a bonus for busy people like me.
Assunta can reach assunta@nwasianweekly.com.
