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Varied, balanced and, of course, delicious. Traditional dishes of long-lived peoples will remind us of the joys of a recent vacation, give moments of pleasure and add health.
My vacation was in the middle of summer. Only a week in Corfu – and it seems that so much energy has increased that it should be enough until the New Year holidays. And it’s not just the bright Greek sun, the gentle Ionian Sea and great company. Fish and seafood, the freshest vegetables and a variety of cheeses, pies with herbs and ripe fruits – the local cuisine delighted us no less than anything else. I included some Greek dishes in the home menu. For example, spanakopita spinach pie has already become one of my signature recipes. I still have a few olives and feta left, bought at the miniature airport of Corfu before the flight home. From time to time, I add them to salads and seem to be transported again under the hot July sun. Although, of course, the advantages of Mediterranean cuisine do not end there. “It has the optimal ratio of plant and animal components,” says nutritionist Anna Belousova. – Flavor combinations and the ratio of nutrients in traditional dishes have been verified for centuries. And this means that you can not think about calories and points, vitamins and trace elements, but enjoy the rich taste – with health and figure benefits. But not only Mediterranean cuisine can improve our well-being. We asked Anna Belousova to talk about the most useful culinary traditions in the world and explain why they are so good.
Japanese Cuisine: Zen Eating
The country is the leader in the number of centenarians. Cancer, cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis are rare even in adulthood.
Our menu. No other cuisine in the world can boast of such a number of “superfoods”. Soy, green tea, shiitake mushrooms neutralize oxidative stress, which provokes aging and cell mutation. Rice removes toxins and heavy metals. True, the average Japanese eats a lot of salt: 35–40 g per day is more than five teaspoons. And although hypertension because of this is no less common here than in our country, atherosclerosis and angina pectoris are not in sight in Japan: the menu rich in sea fish saves. It contains omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. These substances cleanse blood vessels, participate in the production of sex hormones and are used as a building material for the formation of cells in our body. Thanks to algae, which also form the basis of Japanese cuisine, local residents do not lack iodine and selenium. They normalize the course of hundreds of metabolic processes, for example, regulate the work of the hormonal system. By the way, there are practically no these valuable trace elements in our menu.
Famous foods and dishes: sushi, tofu, soy sauce, miso, green tea, wasabi, shiitake mushrooms.
Mediterranean cuisine: the flavor of summer
Fresh vegetables and fruits, garlic and herbs, pasta and bread, olive oil and wine, cheeses and other products made from goat’s and sheep’s milk… We all perfectly represent the cuisine of the Mediterranean. Interest in it arose in the middle of the last century, when doctors noticed that the inhabitants of this region hardly suffer from overweight, diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.
Our menu. It is based on fresh vegetables and whole grains, such as the famous Italian pasta. Rich in fiber, they improve the functioning of the digestive system and promote harmony. Garlic, lemon juice and herbs (oregano, thyme, marjoram, basil) are used as seasoning. They give dishes such a rich taste that there is almost no need to use salt – it is added in minimal quantities. Therefore, there are very few cases of hypertension, kidney and cardiovascular diseases. Despite all the advantages, the rules of Mediterranean cuisine should be adapted to our conditions. For the inhabitants of the Mediterranean, olive oil is the main source of fat. We actively eat butter and other animal fats. Therefore, do not pour olive oil with a generous hand, as Italian housewives do. It is better to measure its amount with spoons.
Famous foods and dishes: olive oil, olives, pasta, cheeses and dairy products from easily digestible goat and sheep milk, hummus (mashed chickpeas), yeast-free whole grain bread, sometimes stuffed with olives or tomatoes.
Andean cuisine: heritage of the Incas
The Vilcabamba Valley in southern Ecuador is called the Valley of Longevity. What exactly contributes to this – mountain air, the unique mineral composition of the water of local rivers or the traditional cuisine of this remote region – scientists have not yet decided, but the menu of local residents was called balanced.
Our menu. For the last three thousand years, Andeans have been drinking hot chocolate. While in Europe and the USA serious passions have been burning around this product for years, they enjoy a cup of cocoa several times a day. As has been proven in numerous studies, cocoa is rich in antioxidants, which prolong the youth of the body and have a pronounced anti-cancer effect. It was in this region that they once began to grow potatoes and corn. They still form the basis of the diet of local residents. Like quinoa, it is a white cereal rich in protein, fiber, vitamins and trace elements, which has received recognition from nutritionists around the world. To help spread awareness of this valuable grain, the UN General Assembly even declared 2013 the International Year of Quinoa.
Famous foods and dishes: cocoa, quinoa, potatoes, corn, tapioca (groats from the root of the tropical cassava plant), crispy meat patties made from wheat and corn flour.
In terms of health and the number of centenarians, the Danes, Swedes, Norwegians and Finns are confidently catching up with the Japanese. Not the last role in this is played by their conservatism in food: fast food has not taken root here, and traditional farming methods are more common than anywhere else in the world.
Our menu. The main advantage of northern cuisine is the abundance of cold-water marine fish, which are especially rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids – the fish accumulate them to protect themselves from the cold. Meat appears on the table of northerners much less frequently, and mostly game. And it is environmentally friendly by definition: an elk, unlike a pig, cannot be fed with compound feed. Cloudberries, cranberries, blueberries, lingonberries and bilberries, which thrive in harsh climates, are widely used by the descendants of the Vikings to make sauces and side dishes. Thanks to gentle harvesting methods (drying and urinating), the berries retain most of the vitamins and bioflavonoids, and therefore, throughout the year, they perfectly strengthen the immune system and support the cardiovascular system. The unpretentious Scandinavian menu also includes mushrooms, whole grain bread and vegetables. They hardly eat sweets.
Famous foods and dishes: salmon, trout, herring, cod, cranberries… in all forms.
Read more:
- What is the secret of the Dukan diet?
Caucasian cuisine: the secret of the highlanders
There are many centenarians here, especially in remote villages.
Our menu. The real cuisine of this region is very different from the common ideas about it. Meat is eaten here mainly on holidays. The Caucasian menu is predominantly lacto-vegetarian with rare exceptions in the form of lean beef and lamb. The excessive fat content of some dishes (for example, khachapuri) is compensated by the abundance of fresh seasonal vegetables that are always on the table and, together with cereals and beans, form the basis of the local residents’ diet. Dishes are generously seasoned with herbs and sauces made from berries and fruits. This menu contains a lot of bioflavonoids – antioxidants that maintain the health of the heart and blood vessels. Walnuts, which are put in every second dish, are rich in vitamin E and B vitamins, as well as selenium, zinc and iodine.
Famous foods and dishes: suluguni, cilantro, walnuts, lobio (bean stew with onions, garlic, tomatoes), khinkali, kharcho, tkemali sauces (from young plums), narsharab (pomegranate), satsivi (from walnuts).