Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at ICU (Japan) chapter.

The best way to spend time this season is in a warm and cozy room. However, many people may have overeaten when they stayed at home. Your gastrointestinal tract, which enjoyed many events, maybe a little tired. Today, I will introduce what “fermented foods” are and the simple method you can try today.

What are “Fermented Foods” ?

What kind of foods do you think of when I say fermented foods? In recent years, drinks with bacteria such as “kombucha” have become popular overseas. If you eat Japanese food often, it’s surprisingly familiar, such as miso, natto, and pickles.

“Fermented foods” are foods whose materials have been decomposed by microorganisms. You can get various positive effects by taking live bacteria into your body.

The Power of Fermentation

In history, fermented foods have been enjoyed because they can be stored away and enjoyed a little longer than regular foods. But that’s not the only benefit of fermenting. Fermented foods can add depth to the taste. They also have high nutrition, which makes it possible to take nutrition efficiently. Not only is it delicious, but it also improves the skin-beautifying effect and immunity by organizing the intestinal environment. You definitely can not underestimate the power of fermentation foods!

How to Use 

People who like fermented foods such as natto, pickles, cheese, and yogurt can easily incorporate them into their daily diet in a well-balanced manner. By combining various fermented foods, you can ingest multiple bacteria. Some of them are high in salts, such as pickles and cheese, so be careful not to overeat! 

If you don’t like the unique taste and sourness, why not add fermented foods to your seasonings? Try to change your usual seasoning to salt koji, soy sauce koji, amazake made from rice koji. They will quickly change the dishes to a soft and delicious taste! 

These days, you can easily buy them at supermarkets, but if you want to challenge yourself, start by buying some rice koji and ferment away! After mixing with salt or soy sauce, stir once a day and leave it for a few days to a week! Experience the excitement from the time you grow to the time you cook.

These days, with the coronavirus and cold weather, time at home has increased. Perhaps, many people are struggling with mental health due to an unbalanced diet and lack of exercise, incorporating fermented foods in a way that suits you can be kind to your body and mind.

 

Aoka Kudo

ICU (Japan) '23

Hi! I'm Aoka Kudo, studying Environmental Studies and Development Studies at International Christian University. I love swimming, singing, eating, and walking outside in the breeze!
Articles anonymously written by HCICU Contributors.