“Even when the earth shakes beneath our feet,
we rise up to the challenges, embrace change
and continue to prosper”
We look forward to an exciting year ahead. Despite the current economic climate we have invested time and resources into making our brand more available.
This is a great recovery meal with healthy soba noodles and nourishing kuzu broth.
Serves 4
Ingredients
400g Clearspring 100% Buckwheat Soba Noodles
80g carrot, cut into thin strips
2 leek, thinly sliced
200g age (deep fried tofu), wiped off any excess oil on the surface with paper towel, sliced into thin strips
12 lotus root slices (soaked in water for 2 hours)
Stock Soup: soak the Clearspring Kombu and Clearspring Shiitake in water at least 30 minutes in a saucepan.
20cmx5cm Clearspring Kombu
8 dried Clearspring Shiitake
800ml cold water
Seasonings:
3 tbsp Clearspring Tamari Soya Sauce
2 tbsp Clearspring Mikawa Mirin or Clearspring Rice Mirin
1 tbsp sake
1/2 tsp Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
To make ankake (thick sauce):
2 tbsp Clearspring Kuzu, dissolved in 2 tbsp cold water
Garnishing:
2 tsp ginger, grated
1 tbsp Clearspring Toasted Sesame Oil
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
4 mangetout, lightly boiled, sliced into a half
Method
1. To make Clearspring Kombu and three dried shiitake or maitake mushrooms in about 2 litres of water for at least 15 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, and thinly slice the caps. Then return them to the water, bring it to the boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove the kombu and keep it to use for cooking as a condiment or with beans.
">dashi, bring the kombu and shiitake in a water to the boil, but take the kombu out just before boiling.
2. Simmer the shiitake for 10 minutes, then take them out. (skim a scum off if it is needed) 3. Add the seasonings (soy sauce, mirin, sake, salt) to the dashi, bring it to the boil.
4. Add the carrot, leek, age (deep fried tofu) and lotus root, then simmer with low heat until the carrot is cooked.
5. In the meantime, prepare the soba noodle by following an instructions on a package. *be careful that it will overflow when the soba noodles are cooking. Add water to the pan or reduce the heat if it is required. Place the soba noodle on serving plates.
6. To make the ankake sauce, while the sauce is simmering with low heat, slowly pour the kuzu and water mixture into the pan (before you pour the mixture, give a stir to combine well). Stirring for 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens.
7. Serve the ankake sauce on top of the soba noodle, then garnishing with ginger, give a drizzle of the sesame oil and sesame seeds to add an extra flavour.
Possiamo giá anticiparvi che il prossimo anno per Clearspring sará eccitante e ambizioso! Nonostante il clima economico sia un pó fragile abbiamo investito tempo e risorse per rendere il nostro brand piú accessibile.
“Aun cuando la tierra se estremece bajo nuestros pies, afrontamos los desafíos, aprovechamos los cambios y seguimos prosperando”
"Nawet gdy grunt trzęsie się pod naszymi stopami, konfrontujemy się z wyzwaniami, dostosowujemy się do zmian i ciagle się rozwijamy"
新年明けましておめでとうございます。
今掲げたいモットーは、‘七転び八起き’です。昨 年は悲しいニュースや不安定な世界経済状況への懸念もありましたが、今年もクリアスプリング社は力強く前進していきたいと思っております。皆様の食卓へ 弊社の商品がより届きやすくなる様、努力を怠らず、またウェブサイトも新年早々更に魅力的なものへ更新されております。フェイスブックで直接的にコミュニケー ションを取れるようにも心がけております。今年は店頭で試食の機会をもっと増やしていく予定でもありますでの、楽しみにしていてください。
Guilt free dessert with healthy kuzu and cocoa.
Serves 4
Ingredients
600ml soya milk
2 tbsp Clearspring Kuzu
1 tbsp Clearspring Agar Flakes
100ml Clearspring Rice Malt Syrup
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp hazelnut or cashwer nut butter
A pinch of Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
Crushed roasted hazelnuts for topping
Method
1. Mix cocoa powder and some soya milk (about 3 tbsp) to make it into a smooth paste. Set aside.
2. Mix kuzu and 1 tbsp cold water well. Set aside.
3. Heat the remaining soya milk in a pan with a pinch of salt and agar flakes without stirring until bubbles start. Then simmer for 3-4 minutes or until all the agar flakes dissolve, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the cocoa paste (1) into a pan and stir constantly for a further 3-4 minutes.
5. Add malt syrup, nut butter and stir constantly. When it is mixed, add the kuzu paste (2) and stir constantly.
6. When the liquid becomes a bit thicker, remove from the heat and transfer to a flat dish. Leave it to cool for 1-2 hours.
7. Once set, blend in a food processor until smooth and creamy, adding more malt syrup if necessary.
8. Serve topped with crushed, roasted hazelnuts.
Now we have entered November, the Thanksgiving month. This is such a good time to reflect on and enjoy the abundance of food provided by nature.
今年最後のニュースレターです。感謝際もある11月に入りました。豊かな収穫を堪能し、また自然に感謝を捧げるいい機会です。
最近のニュースとして、様々な国が多大な負債をかかえ経済危機になりかねないと報道されています。それらも自然の恩恵を身勝手で持続不可能な方法で利用していたつけの1つではないのかと思います。お金だけでなく、環境問題を含めた全ての面においての負債は人類全体に悪影響を与えかねません。
個人レベルでは、少しでも持続可能な生活を続けるために、下記のような５つのポイントがあります。
Benventui alla nostra newsletter di fine anno.
Novembre, il mese del Thanksgiving, é appena iniziato. Questo é un periodo perfetto per riflettere e godere a pieno dell'abbondanza di cibo che la natura ci fornisce.
Witamy w naszym biuletynie na zakończenie roku.
Teraz rozpoczął się listopad, miesiac Dziękczynienia. To jest dobra pora aby cieszyć się dostatkiem żywności danej nam przez Naturę, ale też odpowiedni moment na refleksje.
A light, refreshing and healthy pudding. Guilt free pleasure!
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 pack of Clearspring Tofu
4 strawberries, chopped into small pieces
8 blueberries
2 tbsp Clearspring Strawberry Spread
1 tsp Clearspring Kuzu
1/5 pack of Clearspring Snack Organic Tamari Almonds
1/5 pack of Clearspring Snack Organic Roasted Seeds & Soya with Cranberry (optional)
Methods
1. Carefully remove the tofu from its pack and drain.
2. Place chopped strawberries and the fruit spread in a small pan. Cook by simmering for a few minutes. Stirring well to avoid burning.
3. Add kuzu dissolved with a little water to the pan. Cook over a low heat until thickened.
4. Place the tofu in the middle of a plate and top with the strawberries while still hot. Decorate with blueberries and the chopped almonds on top.
Optional extra decoration: Sprinkle the roasted seeds and soya with cranberry around the tofu.
Recipe submitted by Sonia Shah
A mild Indonesian style dish with golden fried tofu cubes that are crispy on the surface but soft and smooth inside.
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 pack of Clearspring Tofu
1 tsp arrowroot powder or alternative flour
1 tbsp peanut Oil or Clearspring Sesame Oil
1/8 tsp Clearspring Shoyu Soya Sauce
1 medium size onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2cm piece of ginger, finely chopped
1 lemongrass stalk, finely chopped
1 red chilli, seeds removed and finely chopped
50g desiccated coconut
1 can of coconut milk
2 portions of jasmine rice
A pinch of fresh coriander
A pinch of Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
A pinch of black pepper
Methods
1. Carefully remove the tofu from its pack and drain. Cut into 6 cubes. Pat with a little arrowroot powder or other flour alternative.
2. Lightly toast the desiccated coconut. Try not to burn. Set aside.
3. Stir fry the tofu cubes with oil until the surface turns a golden colour.
4. Cook the jasmine rice according to the pack instruction.
5. Finley chop the onion, garlic, ginger, lemongrass and chilli. Blend all to a puree and add the toasted desiccated coconut.
6. Gently cook the puree in a frying pan, Stir occasionally to avoid burning.
7. Stir in the coconut milk and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
8. Add the fried tofu and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Season with soya sauce, and a touch of salt and pepper to taste.
9. Serve with the jasmine rice and garnish with some fresh coriander.
Recipe submitted by Hannah Murfet
A smooth and very moreish vegan mayonnaise.
Ingredients
Half pack of Clearspring Tofu
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp Clearspring Rice Malt Syrup
1 tbsp Clearspring Apple Balsamic Vinegar
120ml Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Methods
1. Place tofu, dry mustard, sea salt, apple balsamic vinegar, rice malt syrup and lemon juice into the blender.
2. Blend with low speed, and pour in slowly the olive oil with 2 teaspoons of very hot water to emulsify the mayonnaise.
**The mayonnaise can be kept in the fridge for 3 weeks.
These Risolle patties made with wild rice, artichoke hearts, toasted pecans and dried cranberries, and are a delicious and uplifting festive dish. Topped with zesty and refreshing cranerry chutney makes for a mouth watering combination.
Serves 4
Ingredients
<Wild Rissole Patties>
175g cooked wild rice
175g cooked Clearspring Brown Rice
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
70g dried cranberries
85g drained artichoke hearts from a jar, coasely chopped
25g toasted pecans, chopped
2 tbs Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbs fresh sage, chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 pack of Clearspring Tofu, crumbled
4 slices of Clearspring Japanese Rice Cakes, crushed
Clearspring Sunflower Frying Oil for deep frying
<Cranberry Chutney>
2 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Clearspring Kuzu
1/2 tsp dry mustard
300g fresh or frozen cranberries
80g dried cranberries
1 jar of Clearspring Rice Malt Syrup
170ml Ruby Port
3 tbs crystallised ginger
2 tbsp grated orange zest
1 tbsp grated lemon zest
1/8 tsp ground cloves
Methods
<Wild Rice Rissole Patties>
1. Mix cooked wild rice, cooked brown rice, onion, artichoke hearts, pecans, olive oil, sage, thyme and rosemary in a large bowl.
2. Mix in the tofu then cracker rice cake crumbs, and season with salt and petter if desired. Add a litte flour if more binding is needed.
3. Shape mixture into 12 patties then keep them in the fridge for few hours to set.
4. Heat 2 tbsp of sunflower fyring oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Cook patties to hot pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until browned and crispy suface. Repeat the other side as well.
5. Serve with cranberry chutney.
<Cranberry Chutney>
1. Whisk together orange juice, lemon juice, kuzu and mustard in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Combine cranberries, rice syrup, port dried cranberries, ginger, orange zest, lemon zest, cloves and a pinch of sea salt in medium saucepan.
3. Bring to a boil. Stirring constantly.
4. Stir in juice and kuzu mix (1) into a pan and simmer 10 minutes, or until sauce thickends and berries have burst.
5. Cool, serve chilled or at room temperature.
A delicious sweet soup made with 4 different vegetables to warm and nourish you in the winter months.
Ingredients
1 onion
1 parsnip
65g squash
1 sachet of Clearspring Miso Bouillon
1L spring water
A pinch of Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
1 tbsp Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive Oil
A dash of Clearspring Shoyu Soya Sauce
A pinch of fresh parseley
Beautiful orange coloured fries served with a smooth, very moreish vegan mayonnaise.
Serves 4
Ingredients
<Sweet French Fries>
2 sweet potatoes
Clearspring Extra Virgin Tunisian Olive Oil or Clearspring Sunflower Frying Oil for roast
A pinch of Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
<Tofu Mayonnaise>
Half pack of Clearspring Tofu
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp Clearspring Rice Malt Syrup
1 tbsp Clearspring Apple Balsamic Vinegar
120ml Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Methods
<Sweet French Fries>
1. Preheat the oven to 450F (225c).
2. Slice potatoes lengthwise into half inch thick slices (chunky potato wedges size).
3. Toss them with a generous amount of olive oil to coat the potato pieces and sprinkle with sea salt.
4. Spread in a rimmed baking sheet, avoiding overlap and bake, uncovered for about 35 minutes, until brown and crisp. Stirring occasionally to ensure even browning.
5. Remove from the oven and toss with a light seasoning of salt if required. Serve with tofu mayonnaise.
<Tofu Mayonnaise>
1. Place tofu, dry mustard, sea salt, apple balsamic vinegar, rice malt syrup and lemon juice into the blender.
2. Blend with low speed, and pour in slowly the olive oil with 2 teaspoons of very hot water to emulsify the mayonnaise.
**The mayonnaise can be kept in the fridge for 3 weeks.
Guilt free healthy dessert with wholemeal oats and our Organic Fruit Puree.
Ingredients
For the crumble topping
1/3 cup rolled oats or millet flakes
1/3 cup unbleached white or wholemeal flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
A pinch of Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
2 tbsp Clearspring Organic Sunflower Frying Oil
1 1/2 tbsp Clearspring Organic Rice Malt Syrup
For the fruit base
250g frozen forest berries*
1 to 2 pots Clearspring Organic Apple & Apricot Puree**
*Alternatively 250g of chopped apples/ pears or 200g of tinned apricot/peach.
**Enough to get all the fruit very generously coated.
Adapted from a recipe by Ali Farrel, Food Forum
Welcome to our September & October Newsletter
September is here, bringing us a multitude of ripening grains, seeds, fruits and vegetables.
Nastał wrzesień, przynosząc nam wiele dojrzewających ziaren, nasion, owoców i warzyw. Sądzimy ze wszyscy mieliście dobre lato i macie teraz miłe wspomnienia na chłodniejsze miesiące. Teraz tez jest dobry czas na zaplanowanie pożywnego menu dla ochrony zdrowia i dobrego samopoczucia w okresie zimowym. To jest moje sugerowane minimum:
Settembre é arrivato portandoci un'infinitá di cereali, semi, frutta e verdura.
Spero che tutti voi abbiate avuto una splendida estate piena di ricordi da portarvi dietro nei mesi piú freddi che verranno. É arrivato adesso il periodo ideale per pianificare menu salutari che aiutino a proteggere la vostra salute durante l'inverno.
Questi sono i miei suggerimenti:
9月に入り収穫の秋がやってきました。これから出回る旬の穀物、種類、果物や野菜などが楽しみですね。今年の夏も素敵な思い出がたくさん出来たことかと思いますが、これからやってくる寒い季節に備えて栄養たっぷりの食事で体をいたわり免疫を付けていきましょう。私からの提案は以下です。
Welcome to our July & August Newsletter
Now, with the big summer heat, please enjoy the amazing abundance of fruits and vegetables.
Nature provides in an orderly way what is good to maintain your health during each and every season.
Teraz, wraz z nastaniem gorąych wiosennych upałów, prosimy abyscie się delektowali niesamowitym bogactwem sezonowych owoców i warzyw. Natura dostarcza w sposób uporządkowany co jest dobre aby utrzymać Twoje zdrowie w każdym sezonie.
Con l’arrivo del caldo estivo, vi invito a godere della varietà di frutta e verdura che la natura dona per mantenerci sani durante ogni stagione.
Welcome to our May and June Newsletter
My heart and deepest sympathies go out to all those distressed people who lost their loved ones and production sites in the March 11th earthquake.
東北大震災でご家族を失われた方や被害にあった方々へ、心よりお見舞い申し上げます。
未だにまだ油断が許されない福島原子力発電所事故に伴い、日本から輸出される食物について厳しい検査が施されております。クリアスプリングも安全な食品を英国を始めとする欧州・中近東諸国などへ輸出することに全力を尽くしております。世界でも有数な持続可能な伝統食を生産している日本の食を、より多くの国々に広めたい。この困難な危機を乗り越えてでも世界中のお客様に提供できるようによりいっそう励んで参ります。
You may have seen Hiyayakko in Japanese restaurants' menu but many of them often have bonito flakes (tuna flakes) as a topping. When you have a good quality and tasty tofu such as our Clearspring Organic Tofu, it is great to taste the tofu's flavour itself. Here are some ideas for cold tofu dishes with vegan toppings. Great summer starter.
Marinated Avocado Hiyayakko
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 pack (300g) Clearspring Organic Tofu
1/4 avocado, cut into small cubes
1/4 stalk of spring onion, finely chopped
3/4 tbsp Clearspring Organic Soya Sauce
3/4 tbsp Clearspring Toasted Sesame Oil
A pinch of black pepper
Tomato & Sesame Seeds Hiyayakko
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 pack (300g) Clearspring Organic Tofu
5 mini tomatos, each tomato cut into 4 pieces
1/2 tbsp grated toasted sesame seeds
1 1/2 tsp Clearspring Organic Soya Sauce
1 1/4 tsp Clearspring Organic Mikawa Mirin
1 1/4 tsp Clearspring Toasted Sesame Oil
1/2 tsp Clearspring Organic Balsamic Vinegar
Cucumber & Ginger Hiyayakko
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 pack (300g) Clearspring Organic Tofu
30g cucumber, cut into small cubes
15g Clearspring Sushi Ginger, finley chopped
2 tsp Clearspring Organic Sweet White Miso
1 tsp Clearspring Tsuyu ir Clearspring Organic Soya Sauce
A pinch of Clearspring Toasted Fine Cut Nori
Zesty Miso Tahini Hiyayakko
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 pack (300g) Clearspring Organic Tofu
1 tbsp Clearspring Organic Brown Rice Miso
1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp water
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest
Method for all recipes
1. Remove tofu from packaging and pat with kitchen paper to drain water. Cut tofu in half.
2. Mix all the other ingredients and place them on top of the tofu
Finalmente è primavera!
Come amo vedere i germogli primaverili pronti e fiorire! La natura non sa cosa sia ieri o la fretta del domani. Ha i propri ritmi e rispettandoli può garantire stagioni nuove anno dopo anno, secolo dopo secolo.
Ha! Voici enfin le printemps. Comme j'aime voir les bourgeons prêts à s'ouvrir au printemps.
La Nature ne pense ni à hier ni à demain. Elle a son rhyme à elle, offrant une saison toute neuve chaque année, siècle après siècle. C'est en l'observant attentivement que nous obtenons abondance dans nos récoltes et bon résultat dans notre alimentation.
春がやってきましたね。
土から植物達の芽が出始めるこの季節、新しい命の始まりを感じます。自然は恐れるということを知りません。自分のリズムに従ってどんどん新しい季節、新しい年に向かって進んでいきます。この自然のサイクルを十分に観察し波長を合わせることで、私たちの毎日の食事や農業のあり方などをベストな状態に持っていくことが出来るでしょう。
野生動物や植物、また昆虫類たちが手付かずで保存され生物多様な森は、結局は農耕地のレベルを向上させることにつながります。
日常の食事については、主食の無精製穀物、種類、季節の野菜と果物を食べることによって自然の流れに身を任せ快適に過ごすことが出来ます。
新しい命が芽生えるこの季節、将来の農業や個人の健康を左右する私たちの自然について再考慮してみましょう。
This green tea dressing is ideal for over salads, steamed vegetables and pasta (to be used like pesto). Elegant flavours of green tea leaves with natural sweetness of cashew nuts create a great harmony. All the goodness of green tea is sealed in this dressing.
Makes 100ml
Ingredients
1/2 tsp Clearspring Sencha Green Tea Leaves
4 tbsp Clearspring Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbsp Clearspring Brown Rice Vinegar
1 tbsp Clearspring Mikawa Mirin
1/2 tsp garlic paste
3 tbsp crushed cashew nuts
A pinch of Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
Method
1. Ground Sencha Green Tea Leaves in a suribachi (equivalent to pestle and mortar) to make a fine powder.
2. Combine all the rest of the seasonings in a bowl.
3. Add ground Sencha Green Tea Leaves and salt to taste.
Welcome to our January Newsletter
Happy New Year to you ALL worldwide.
Clearspring foods are here to help you make a healthy start to 2011.
Press Releases
Clearspring Organic Tofu
Clearspring Organic Brown Rice Ramen Noodles
Clearspring Organic Wholegrain Rice Cakes
Clearspring Organic Fruit Spreads
Clearspring Organic Corn Cakes
Press Coverage
Waitrose Magazine March 2010
Clearspring Fact Sheets
Clearspring Fact Sheet
Une très bonne année à vous tous, où que vous soyez dans le monde. Nous espérons que les produits Clearspring vous aiderons à commencer 2011 de façon équilibrée.
Buon anno nuovo a tutti ovunque siate nel mondo.
Vi auguro che i prodotti Clearspring vi aiutino a mantenervi sani per il 2011.
明けましておめでとうございます。
２０１１年ヘルシースタートを切る為に、クリアスプリングから新年早々、三つの新しい商品が加わりました。有機豆腐、有機ライスケーキ・和風味、有機フルーツスプレッドです。
Allereerst een gelukkig nieuw jaar aan iedereen waar dan ook ,Clearspring food is er om te helpen de juiste gezonde keus te maken in 2011.
A wonderful way to eat Clearspring Tofu straight out of the pack.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 block Clearspring Tofu
For mustard sesame sauce
1tbsp Clearspring Toasted Sesame Oil
1tbsp Clearspring Rice Malt Syrup
3tbsp Clearspring Shoyu Soya Sauce
3tbsp Clearspring Mikawa Mirin
2tbsp mustard
A few edamame peas and black sesame seeds for garnish
Method
This multi purpose tofu sauce is excellent with crudities, thinned as a salad dressing or as a pasta sauce. Most people would not realise that it was dairy free unless told. It is simply delicious!
Serves 3
Ingredients
For creamy sauce
1 pack Clearspring Tofu
50g raw cashew nuts
1tbsp Clearspring Tamari Soya Sauce
1tbsp Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1tbsp Clearspring Sweet White Miso
1tbsp Clearspring Toasted Sesame Oil
sprinkling of chilli flakes
salt and pepper to taste
For pasta dish
40g petit pois, cooked or frozen
170g Clearspring Semi Whole Wheat Penne
Method
If using as a pasta sauce, cook pasta and some vegetbales - a handful of frozen petit pois or sweetcorn both work well. To save on washing up cook the vegetables in the same pan as the pastas.
Organic Flavoured Wholegrain Rice Cakes are ideal for a light lunch, delicious on their own or as a low fat snack by adding your favourite topping. Light and crispy thick slices only counts 28-32 calories each with just a trace of salt.
Clearspring Organic Tofu is produced at the foothills of Mt. Fuji where our expert producers have been making tofu for nearly 20 years.
The factory has direct access to pure and clean water naturally filtered in the basin of Japan's highest mountain.
The raw material whole soya beans come from specially contracted organic farms in Japan and North Ameria to ensure that they are properly certified and GM free.
We are proud of the fact that the factory has implemented a lot of processes to make it more sustainable including filtering all their waste water and re-using the left over soya mass as animal feed.
This delicious dairy-free cake makes the perfect alternative to cheesecake.
Ingredients
Base
100g oats
1tbsp Clearspring Hazelnut Oil
2tbsp Clearspring Rice Malt Syrup
Topping
120ml organic apple juice
½tbsp Clearspring Kuzu
150g cherries, stoned
½tbsp Clearspring Rice Malt Syrup
Filling
100ml organic apple juice
3tbsp Clearspring Agar Flakes
1-2tbsp Clearspring Rice Malt Syrup
1 pack Clearspring Tofu
2 tubs Clearspring Apple Puree
½ vanilla pod, seeds only
Method
Base
Topping
Filling
To serve
Remove the cheesecake from the tin, remove the baking paper and transfer to a serving plate. Spoon over the cherry sauce and enjoy.
Although you can keep this ;
In dicembre mi piace riflettere sull’anno che sta per finire, sulle cose che ho fatto e su quelle che non ho fatto. Mi chiedo anche se avrei dovuto fare di più e cosa dovrò fare durante il nuovo anno.
今年最後の月、これまでの一年を振り返り来年の目標を立てるのが私の１２月の習慣となっています。クリアスプリングでは有機で安心できる高品質なもの、持続可能な生産方法で作られている食品を皆様にお届けすることをお約束していますが、これが私自信の常なる目標でもあります。最近発売された有機玄米ラーメンもヘルシーなインスタント食品として安心してお届けできるものです。試してみて下さい。
Bienvenue sur notre newsletter de fin d’année,
En décembre j’aime réfléchir à ce que j’ai pu ou n’ai pas pu faire, sur ce que j’aurais dû faire durant les 12 mois passés et ce que je dois faire pour la nouvelle année!
Ons nieuws bulletin aan het einde van het jaar.
In December overdenk ik graag wat ik gedaan heb of niet heb gedaan en wat ik eigenlijk had moeten doen deze afgelopen 12 maanden en wat ik zeker zal moeten doen in het nieuwe jaar!
?Stockholm, Sweden?
Another country famous for fish, Sweden is becoming an increasingly veggie friendly place. Just as the wholefood movement has grown there, so too has the veggie food scene. In Stockholm there are at least 15 strictly vegetarian restaurants, with many offering all you can eat buffets!
?San Francisco, USA ?
From raw food to vegan ice cream, Thai and Ethiopian, you can find just about anything you’re looking for in San Francisco, and plenty that you’re not too. There are also numerous vegan options, so no one should go hungry.
?Hidden nasties?
A salad might seem like a safe option, but it’s always a good idea to check exactly what’s in it. In many countries a mixed salad could include a piece of tuna, a few pieces of bacon, or a mayonnaise based dressing. Equally if you’re ordering a risotto or stew, check which stock they’ve used.
?Snack packs?
It’s usually easy to find a salad or a plate of veggies on a menu, but getting that all important protein can be a challenge in unfamiliar countries, so why not take a few bags of nuts with you from our Snack Organic range to make sure you’re getting a good balance.
?Clearspring stockists?
Finally, don’t forget that we are an international company, wherever you go, you may well be near a Clearspring stockist. Have a look at our list to find out.
Happy cow compassionate eating guide www.happycow.net
Veggie friendly tours www.vegetarian-vacations.com
Vegan backpackers www.veganbackpackers.com
The vegetarian travel resource group http://www.vrg.org/travel/
The way we eat, and the way we grow what we eat, are both prominent topics in our newsletters. These are necessary wake-up calls for humanity. At last people are realising that we need to change our approach to food if we are to continue to feed our families well.
I call July the Big Month:
- 31 days
- long daylight hours and usually guaranteed sunshine
- food crops and leafy bushes are growing at an amazing pace
- my favourite raspberries and sweetcorn start to appear
J'appelle le mois de juillet, le grand mois:
- il compte 31 jours
- c'est le mois avec le plus d'heures d'ensoleillement et un beau temps garanti pour la plupart
- les légumes, les fruits et les feuillages poussent à une vitesse incroyable
- les framboises et le maïs doux, mes préférés, commencent à apparaître
Io chiamo luglio il grande mese:
- Ha 31 giorni
- È il mese che ha le giornate più lunghe e di solito ci garantisce il sole
- Raccolti e boscaglia crescono rigogliosi
- Lamponi e mais, due tra i miei cibi preferiti, cominciano a fare capolino
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Ingredients
1 courgette, sliced
2 red peppers
1 aubergine, sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
3tbsp Clearspring Flax-Olive Oil or Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1tsp Clearspring Umeboshi Purée
2 sprigs basil
1 tub sundried tomatoes in oil
1 onion, sliced
1 round loaf of bread, around 400g
Method
Members of the Ono family with the finished product
Checking the quality of Clearspring Organic Rice Crackers.
Clearspring ;
Clearspring ;
Serves 4
Ingredients
140g tinned or fresh, boiled sweetcorn
1/2 mango, finely diced
1/2 red pepper, finely diced
juice of 1/2-1 lime
coriander, to garnish
Method
1. Mix all the ingredients together well and leave for a few minutes to let the flavours infuse. Season with a little black pepper.
2. Spoon onto Clearspring Organic Rice Cakes or Corn Cakes and serve.
Varition
For a little extra kick you can add a little chopped fresh or pickled chilli to the mixture.
Alternatively, try spreading a little tapenade onto you Rice or Corn Cakes before spooning on the salsa.
C’è aria di estate!
È dal 1980 che vivo tra Europa e Giappone gustandomi ciò che entrambi occidente e oriente hanno da offrire.
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Most people know that fibre is an important part of a well balanced diet - it helps to regulate the bowel, reduces obesity and aids the prevention of chronic diseases, and yet so many of us just aren't getting enough. Oats have a fantastic nutritional profile and are a great way to boost your dietary fibre intake.
Fibre: the Basics
Fibre is a term used to refer to indigestible plant substances. They are found in foods including fruits, vegetables, grains, sea vegetables and legumes. Within this category there are two types of dietary fibre: water soluble (viscose) and non-soluble or insoluble fibre. Both types are valuable to the human diet with different benefits.
Insoluble fibre cannot be digested by the body and therefore passes through the body quickly, helping to keep bowel movements regular and healthy.
Soluble fibre, or viscous fibre as it is sometimes called, can be partially digested by the body. It can act almost like a detox product, leaching toxins from the body as it passes through.
Fibre and the heart
Various studies have produced strong links between dietary fibre and important aspects of heart heath. Indeed, it has been suggested that people who consume higher quantities of cereal based fibre have a considerably lower rate of coronary heart disease [1,4]. Good consumption of fibre is also said to reduce blood pressure [1,2]. An increase in soluble fibre intake has also been linked to a reduction in cholesterol of up to 16% [1].
Other benefits
Diet can be a major factor in some cases of cancer, accounting for up to 35% of all cancers. Fibre consumption is often suggested to be a good preventative against cancers including colon [1,2,4] breast [2] and cancers of the gastric cardial region [4]. High fibre foods are also typically low in fat and high in complex carbohydrates and thus can help with weight control or loss [1,2,3,4]. As they tend to be bulkier foods with a lower energy content, they are more filling and take longer to eat, giving the stomach time to realise when it has reached satiety. This feeling of fullness can last for longer, stopping people from over-eating, feeling excessively hungry or having unhealthy cravings [3]. High fibre intake is also recommended for those with type 2 diabetes as studies of diabetics on high soluble fibre diets have showed good improvements in blood glucose and insulin levels [1,2,3,4].
The nutritional qualities of oats
Oats are a fantastic source of both soluble and insoluble fibre. As well as this they are a great source of calcium, magnesium and folate. They are also cholesterol free. Clearspring use the finest Scottish oats to produce their Organic Oatcakes.
Read more:
Summer is in the air!
I have divided my time since 1980 between Europe and Japan, enjoying the East and the West.
Le mois de Mai est là et il en est autant des températures qui s’adoucissent, des élections britanniques et des asperges de saison. A titre personnel j’ai la joie de pouvoir introduire nouveaux produits bio à notre gamme:
È arrivato maggio portando con sé il bel tempo, le elezioni nel Regno Unito e gli asparagi primaverili. Sono felice di annunciarvi il lancio di due nuovi prodotti di Clearspring:
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 medium aubergine
1 tbsp sesame seeds
3tsp Clearspring Sweet White Miso
2tsp Clearspring Ume Plum Seasoning
1tsp Clearspring Tamari Soya Sauce
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180?C/gas 4.
2. Prick the aubergine all over and then place on an oven tray and roast for around 20 minutes until soft all the way through.
3. While the aubergine is roasting, heat a dry frying pan over a low heat. Add the sesame seeds to the pan and toast until golden, stirring every now and then. Tip into a mortar, reserving 1 teaspoon to garnish the dip, and grind until the seeds have broken down to a sandy texture.
4. Now cut the aubergine in half and scoop the flesh out with a spoon. Discard the skin and chop the aubergine flesh until fine.
5. In a bowl mix together all the ingredients except the Tamari. Taste and then add Tamari if necessary. Sprinkle with a few extra toasted sesame seeds to garnish.
Welcome to the new seasoning series where we will explore the different sauces and seasonings available at Clearspring and their uses.
What's the difference between shoyu soya sauce and tamari soya sauce?
Shoyu is made using soya beans and wheat while tamari does not contain wheat. Clearspring Tamari is certified gluten-free by the Coeliac Society. Find out more.
How is it made?
Clearspring Tamari is made using 500 year old techniques which gives it a complex and tasty flavour more intense than other tamari sauces. It is made using only whole beans and it takes more than 300 beans to produce just one 150ml bottle. Read the Tamari producer story here.
What's it used for?
Tamari soya sauce can be used in much the same way as conventional soya sauce. As it has such a unique, deep flavour it will always add an extra dimension to your dish and can even be used in place of salt to season food. To really make the most of the tamari taste, use it on its own as a condiment on chilled silken tofu or cooked vegetables and salads or add it to salad dressing, soups and sauces. Alternatively, use it as a marinade for tofu, shiitake mushrooms or add it to a cooking broth for a flavour boost to simmered vegetables or any other ingredient of your choice. You can also use it as a seasoning for roasted nuts and grains.
Ume Plum Seasoning
What is Ume Plum Seasoning?
Ume Plum Seasoning is the juice from pickling Japanese plums - ume. It has a tangy, salty, citric taste and attractive pink colour. In Japan it is much loved.
Is it good for you?
For a long time umeboshi have been used as a folk remedy in Japan to cure anything from the common cold to stomach complaints and to improve liver and kidney function. They are also said to fight fatigue. Ume Plum Seasoning contains many of the healing qualities and nutrients associated with umeboshi. For more information click here.
What's it used for?
Ume Plum Seasoning is versatile. It can be used in place of regular vinegar in dressings and dips, or alone as a dip for tempura, tofu or cooked vegetables such as broccoli. It works equally well for vegetable pickling, infusing the ingredients with a lovely ume flavour and subtle pink colour. Alternatively, try using it in stir-fries for an interesting sour edge. When cooking with ume seasoning it is not generally necessary to add salt or other salty condiments as it is already quite salty.
What's so special about Clearspring Teriyaki sauce?
Clearspring Organic Teriyaki Sauce is a delicious versatile sauce, made to an authentic Japanese recipe. Organic Mikawa Mirin (sweet rice seasoning) and Malt Syrup are used as a sweetner rather than commonly used refined sugars. It's good taste and has been recognised by the Great Taste Award.
What does it taste like?
Clearspring Organic Teriyaki Sauce is rich and savoury with a naturally sweet and tangy taste.
What is it used for?
Clearspring Teriyaki Sauce can be used as a glaze for vegetables, tofu and tasty summer kebabs. Try skewering a selection of your favourite vegetables such as asparagus, red peppers, courgettes and onions and grilling or barbecuing them. You can either coat them in Teriyaki Sauce before you start cooking or use it to baste them during the process. You can also use Teriyaki Sauce as a tangy addition to stir-fried vegetables, noodles and rice or to enrich simmered shiitake mushrooms for use in stews and sushi or noodle rolls. Alternatively, use it as a condiment for wholesome veggie roasts.
Mirin is a sweet sake and one of the three essential seasonings in Japanese cuisine, together with soya sauce and rice vinegar. It has a unique power to draw out the flavours of ingredients, giving a wonderful richness and depth to all kinds of cooking.It is even used in making fruit-added liqueurs, such as plum wine. Traditionally it has been prepared with sweet glutinous rice as the base ingredient, but today, most conventional mirin is made with various cheap starches. Our Organic Mikawa Mirin is brewed in the traditional way, to create a thick and delicious, naturally sweet liquid that complements many dishes.
How’s it made?
A culture known as koji is mixed with sweet glutinous rice and shochu and allowed to ferment for up to three months. The liquid is then strained away from the solids and further matured for as much as 200 days to make mirin. This traditional and lengthy brewing process gives Clearspring Mirin an exceptionally delicious, rich and complex flavour. Find out more about mirin brewing here.
What is it used for?
Mirin adds both sweetness and umami to dishes, complementing the other tastes to make a more rounded and satisfying flavour. It can be added to dipping sauces such as summer soba; hotpots, soups and stews; used as a marinade ingredient; mixed into dressings; and splashed into stir-fries.
What's the difference between standard rice vinegar and Clearspring Brown Rice Vinegar?
There are two major differences between conventional rice vinegar and Clearspring Brown Rice Vinegar. Firstly, rice vinegar tends to be made from polished (white) rice, while Clearspring Rice Vinegar is made from unpolished (brown) rice. Secondly, Clearspring Brown Rice Vinegar is fermented for much longer than normal rice vinegar. Produce in Kyushu, one of the southern islands of Japan, a 1,000 year old method is used to make the vinegar in a process that has been lost elsewhere. Pure brown rice wine is slowly fermented outdoors for over a year. The result of these two factors is a vinegar that is full-bodied and sweet, yet mild, without the harsh sharpness that other vinegars often have.
What is it used for?
Brown Rice Vinegar is the perfect seasoning for all sorts of dishes, adding a mellow vinegary kick as well as a hint of sweetness. It works in a whole range of dressings for noodles, vegetables, sea vegetables, and salads. It can be added to sushi rice, dips and grains.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 medium red pepper
1 small clove garlic
20g ground almond
2tsp Clearspring Ume Plum Seasoning
150g Clearspring Tofu
1tbsp lemon juice
1tsp Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Method
This fresh and tangy pate is great served on bread, vegetable sticks or with Clearspring Organic Oatcakes.
Serves 2
Ingredients
250g carrot, peeled, chopped into chunks
1 clove garlic
2tsp Clearspring Tamari Soya Sauce
1.5tbsp breadcrumbs
½tsp Clearspring Umeboshi Purée
5g Clearspring Pickled Ginger, finely chopped plus 1 tsp of ginger juice
1tsp Clearspring Organic Toasted Sesame Oil
1tbsp coriander, chopped
Method
1. Boil or steam the carrots with a pinch of Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt and the garlic for about 5-7 minutes until they are just tender.
2. Drain the carrots and put them into a blender with the Tamari, breadcrumbs and Umeboshi Purée and blend to a smooth consistency.
3. Now stir in the Sesame Oil and coriander. Taste and add a little extra Tamari if desired.
Deliciously simple, and simply delicious, this healthy dessert is also packed with natural fibre found in kanten, or agar flakes.
Serves 4
Ingredients
600ml organic apple juice
3tsp Clearspring Agar Flakes
a few slices of orange, halved
Method
Photography (c) Akira Saito
This healthful salad contains seitan, a wheat gluten that is a great source of protein.
"Seitan is wheat gluten that is cooked with shoyu, kombu and water. I serve it here with noodles. It's an easy-to-eat meat substitute. Tempeh can also be used in this recipe".
From Mayumi's Kitchen by Mayumi Nishimura
Serves 2
Ingredients
200g Clearspring Brown Rice Udon, plus enough water to boil them
1tbsp Clearspring Safflower Oil
200g seitan, cut into strips
For the Sweet Mustard Sauce
1tsp Clearspring Shoyu Soya Sauce
2tsp Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
For the Pressed Salad
250g Chinese cabbage, cut into 1 inch strips
70g daikon, cut into matchsticks
50g seedless cucumber, cut into matchsticks
60g carrot, cut into matchsticks
2tsp Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
Method
Photography (c) Akira Saito
A detoxifying soup packed with delicious, nutritious wakame.
"The detoxifying element of this meal is the Wakame Soup with Snow Peas and Ginger. Once after a tour, I was so exhausted I had to stay in bed for a few days. During that period I ate nothing but Wakame Soup and - to my surprise - I recovered quickly".
From Mayumi's Kitchen by Mayumi Nishimura
Serves 2
Ingredients
1tbsp Clearspring Wakame Flakes
480ml spring water
30g onion, cut into half-moons
30g snow peas, tops and strings removed and cut on the diagonal
40g corn kernels
2tbsp Clearspring Shoyu Soya Sauce
1/2 tsp grated ginger
handful coriander
2 spring onions, sliced thinly on the diagonal
Method
Crumbly, creamy and with a unique Clearspring taste twist, Clearspring Organic Oatcakes are certainly not your average oatcake. They are baked with care and quality by fourth generation master bakers in the Scottish highlands, using only the finest organic ingredients.
Nestled beside the stunning Scottish highlands, Maclean’s Highland Bakery is run by the Maclean family, who have been proudly upholding the traditions of Scottish baking for four generations. The Maclean Highland Bakery uses local and natural ingredients, to ensure their products live up to the reputation for excellence their business has carved out since it opened in 1978.
This family business is now run by a committed team of 11 family members, including Margaret MacLean, a winner of the UK Independent Baker of the Year Award, and Lewis MacLean, UK Bread Baker Champion. The bakery is also committed to giving back to the community, and provides work placement positions for young adults with special needs.
Clearspring is delighted to be working with a company so dedicated to maintaining traditional and local techniques, sourcing local ingredients, and being a part of their local community.
Umami is ‘the flavour’ of the month, now highlighted in the press as the fifth taste. It has been known in Japan for one hundred years.
Confucius said ‘Everyone eats and drinks, but only few appreciate the taste of food.’
Crumbly, creamy and with a unique Clearspring taste twist, Clearspring ;
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Benvenuti alla nostra newsletter di aprile.
Umami è il sapore del momento, celebrato dai media come il quinto sapore fondamentale, è conosciuto in Giappone da 100 anni.
Confucio disse: ‘Tutti gli uomini si nutrono, ma pochi sanno distinguere i sapori’.
Waitrose recommendations for essential everyday oils to have in any larder.
Ah, si comincia a sentire la primavera nell’aria! Sembrava che non dovesse più arrivare ma la cosa bella della natura é che ci garantisce cambiamento, fertilitá e posperitá. Noi dobbiamo solo permetterle di fare il suo lavoro.
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The light and fluffy texture of quinoa is a great contrast with the tang of umeboshi and the crunch of radish.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
a pinch of salt
1/2 cup broccoli, cut into florets
1/2 cup carrots, diced
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 cup radishes, sliced whole
For dressing
1tsp Clearspring Umeboshi Purée
2tbsp Clearspring Soya Sauce
2tbsp Clearspring Toasted Sesame Oil
2tbsp water
Method
Quick, simple and delicious - a perfect mid-week meal.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Clearspring Toasted Sesame Oil, for frying
1 onion, sliced
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 red pepper, cut into strips
1 courgette, diced
1 pack baby corn
1handful mange tout
1-2tbsp Clearspring Shoyu Soya Sauce
1-2tbsp Clearspring Mikawa Mirin
Methods:
Note
Taste the dish before serving. If you think it needs more seasoning, add more mirin or soya sauce accordingly.
This deliciously healthy dip gets its full-bodied flavour from dashi, the secret ingredient of so much Japanese food.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 Clearspring Shiitake Mushroom
5g Clearspring Hijiki
1/2 carrot
1/3 konnyaku (Devil's Tongue jelly) block
For seasoning
1 cup Clearspring Tsuyu
1.5tbsp Clearspring Shoyu Soya Sauce
2tbsp Clearspring Mikawa Mirin
For the Tofu Dip
200g Clearspring Tofu
1tbsp sesame seeds, ground and toasted
2tbsp Clearspring Mikawa Mirin
2/3tbsp Clearspring Shoyu Soya Sauce
1/4tbsp Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
Method
A popular autumn dish in Japan, this is a type of takigohan, where rice is cooked with seasonal vegetables.
Serves 4
Ingredients
300g Clearspring Sushi Rice
1 cup chestnuts
1tbsp Clearspring Tamaki or Shizengo Sake
1/2tbsp Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
1tbsp Clearspring Soya Soya Sauce
1 pinch Clearspring Green Nori Sprinkle
Method
Serves 4
Ingredients
200g green beans
a pinch of Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
3tbsp sesame seeds, toasted and ground
1tbsp Clearspring Shoyu Soya Sauce or Clearspring Tamari Soya Sauce
2tbsp Clearspring Mikawa Mirin
Method
Non so se voi stiate riuscendo a mantenere i buoni propositi d’inizio d’anno, io mi sono impegnato a lavorare constantemente sui miei uno dei quali è portare Clearspring ad essere marchio totalmente biologico entro il 2012, la mia maratona olimpica.
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Have a night of passion with this tangy, tropical cocktail. Adjust the recipe to your own taste by adding more or less rice syrup.
Serves 4
Ingredients
3 passion fruits
150g strawberries
Juice of one orange
400g ice
4 shots Clearspring Shizengo or Tamaki Sake
1.5-2tbsp Clearspring Rice Malt Syrup
4 large mint leaves (optional)
Method
These muffins are a true celebration of colour, texture and taste.
Makes 12 muffins
Ingredients
3 cups plain white flour
2tbsp baking powder
¾tsp salt
1 small pinch cinnamon
½ cup roasted hazelnuts, skinned and chopped
1 cup raisins, rinsed & soaked
1 pinch of vanilla powder or a few seeds scraped from a vanilla pod
1 cup of blueberries
Wet ingredients
¾ cup Clearspring Sunflower Oil
1 cup of Clearspring Rice Malt Syrup
¼ cup apple juice (if you would like to create a heavier style of muffin you can leave this out & replace it with more rice malt syrup)
For fruit sauce:
1 cup red fruit (strawberries, raspberries, red currants) - frozen or fresh
2tsp apple juice (optional) or orange juice concentrate
1tsp Clearspring Kuzu (dilute in a tiny amount of apple juice)
Clearspring Rice Malt Syrup or orange concentrate/syrup (optional)
Method
For muffins:
For red sauce:
Variations:
You can create different flavours of muffin. Some other options include adding lemon zest, poppy seeds, any nuts, Clearspring Seeds, Soya and Cranberries or cubed apples.
A fantastic combination of tangy nectarines and apple juice with sweet, rich cashew cream.
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 Nectarines
Apple juice
2tbsp Clearspring Malt Rice Syrup
3 heaped tsp cashew nut butter
½ pack Clearspring Tofu
¼tsp vanilla powder or a few seeds scraped from a vanilla pod
Method
Wow your friends with this vibrant dip. The mixture of walnut and beetroot makes it both tasty and nutritious.
Serves 4 as a starter, 8 as a snack
Ingredients
100g walnuts, toasted
300g cooked beetroot
1 clove garlic
Zest and juice of one lemon
1 spring onion
2tbsp Clearspring Organic Olive Flax Oil
Method
This dessert has an elegant, pink colour and smooth, creamy taste that nobody will be able to resist.
Serves 4
Ingredients
500g strawberries
300g Clearspring Tofu
1tbsp tahini
½ cup Clearspring Malt Rice Syrup
3½tbsp Clearspring Agar Flakes
½ cup apple juice
Method
Welcome to our January Newsletter and Happy New Year.
Here is my message and recommendations for 2010.
Benvenuti alla Newsletter di Gennaio e Buon Anno
Questi sono il mio messaggio e i miei consigli per il 2010.
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Clearspring is delighted to be working in association with the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) to promote 2010 as Visit Japan Year.
This year has been a challenging one for us with the UK economy plagued with ongoing difficulties and the British pound at all time lows. Thankfully, we have witnessed consumers' loyalty to the Clearspring brand. The quality we offer has guaranteed our continued presence and growth in the marketplace, even in such recessionary times.
Inspired from the thirteen desserts of Provence, this simple and quick recipe is great for Christmas appetizers.
Makes about 20 dates and prunes
Ingredients
10 prunes
10 dates
1 pack of Organic Tamari Roasted Almonds
Method
1. Slit the dried fruits and remove the stone
2. Insert one almond in each fruit and reclose
3. Crush the remaining almonds and sprinkle over
Il 2009 si è dimostrato un anno estremamente impegnativo a causa della problematica situazione finanziaria mondiale colpita da un continuo susseguirsi di difficoltá, non ultima l’infelice condizione in cui versa la sterlina.
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Full of warming ingredients and winter goodness.
Serves 4
Ingredients
150g pearl barley
1tbsp Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped in to chunks
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp cinnamon
1tsp fresh ground black pepper
1tbsp Clearspring Shizengo Sake
1tbsp Clearspring Shoyu Soya Sauce
1tbsp Clearspring Rice Mirin
1 orange, zest and juice
2 sachets Clearspring Miso Bouillon mixed with 800ml water
2 big handfuls spinach
Method
This dish has a delicious sweet and sour taste which goes well with any grain, pulse or roast vegetable dish.
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
1-2tbsp Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 large onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2tsp Clearspring Balsamic Vinegar
1tbsp Clearspring Mikawa Mirin
2tbsp plain flour
1 sachet Clearspring Miso Bouillon mixed with 750ml hot water
2tsp wholegrain mustard (optional)
Method
This is hearty warming winter dish packet with flavour and nutrition and it makes the perfect vegan Christmas dish.
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
5 Clearspring Shiitake Mushrooms
2tbsp Clearspring Tunisian Olive Oil
1 small onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 stick celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 sprigs thyme, taken off the stalks
2tbsp Clearspring Soya Sauce
100g dry Puy lentils
5g Clearspring Kombu
2tsp Clearspring Brown Rice Miso
140g brown bread crumbs
75g ground almond, toasted
3tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
Method
Variation:
If you don't have much time you can use 1 tin of brown lentils instead of dried puy. Cook the vegetables until they are tender, add the lentils, kombu and then the stock - you will need a lot less stock, simmer for around 5-10 minutes or until the lentils are just starting to become really soft then continue with the method above from step 5.
The addition of cranberries to this fruity cocktail makes it perfect for the winter months. If you want something a little more summery try using one of the other purées in the Clearspring Fruit Purée Range, such as apple and strawberry or blueberry.
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 shots Clearspring Shizengo or Tamaki Sake
1 tub Clearspring Apple and Cranberry Fruit Purée
500ml apple juice
Method
The perfect drink to take away the winter chill, this is a take on the European tradition of mulled drinks. The sake infused sultanas at the bottom of each cup supply a sweet, chewy treat.
Serves 4
Ingredients
200ml Clearspring Shizengo or Tamaki Sake
Zest of one orange
5 cloves
½ stick cinnamon
1tbsp sultanas
1½tsp Clearspring Rice Malt Syrup
Method
This light and tangy kanten jelly makes the perfect dessert to follow a filling meal. It is great to cool down with in the summer months.
Serves 4
Ingredients
200ml apple juice
1 pinch Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
1tbsp Clearspring Agar Flakes
1 handful of raspberries
Method
These croquettes are perfect as a snack, starter or as a light lunch served with a crunchy side salad.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 bottle Clearspring Sunflower Frying Oil
Option 1:
2 cups leftover Clearspring Sushi Rice
½ cup oat flakes
1tbsp Clearspring Shoyu Soya Sauce
½ carrot, grated
¼ leek, finely chopped
Option 2:
2 cups leftover Clearspring Sushi Rice
½ cup oat flakes
2tbsp Clearspring Shoyu Soya Sauce
1tbsp lemon zest
1tsp Clearspring Umeboshi Purée
Dipping sauce:
2tbsp Clearspring Shoyu Soya Sauce
4tbsp water
Method
An absolute must at Christmas time, this trifle is packed with different flavours and textures.
For 1 trifle
Ingredients
Pear jelly:
2 pears, peeled and cut into long strips
1 pinch Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
1 punnet of blueberries
1L of apple juice
½ pack of sugar free cookies, broken up into large pieces
5tbsp Clearspring Agar Flakes
Custard:
1L soya milk
Vanilla powder, or a few vanilla seeds scraped from the pod, to taste
1 small packet arrowroot
1 pinch turmeric
Clearspring Rice Malt Syrup, as required
Jam topping:
½ jar Clearspring Strawberry or Blueberry Organic Spread
3tsp water
Cashew cream:
2 cups cashew nuts
2-4tsp rice milk
2tsp Clearspring Rice Malt Syrup
A handful of blueberries and raspberries - for decoration
Method
Pear jelly
Custard
Jam topping
Cashew cream
To assemble
I enjoyed being a long distance runner at school, but always came second. In making new products I'm always hoping for a first.
Unlike most concentrated vegetable stocks, it is made from the highest quality, natural ingredients without the use of yeast extracts. This is our unique creation which can be used in non-Japanese style soups and stews.
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This soup is perfect for those days when you just want something quick and simple to eat. You can vary the vegetables you use depending on what you like and what's in season.
Serves 4
1tbsp Clearspring Italian Olive Oil
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
1 red pepper, diced
150g carrot, peeled and diced
150g turnip, diced
1tbsp Clearspring Soya Sauce
2tsp Clearspring Rice Mirin
2tsp Clearspring Shizengo Sake
2 sachets Clearspring Miso Bouillon Paste
150g broccoli, cut into florets
50g green beans, topped and tailed and cut into 2cm pieces
2tbsp deep fried onion
1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan, add the onion and pepper and fry on a medium heat until they are just starting to soften.
2. Add the carrot, turnip, soya sauce, mirin, sake and a litre of cold water and bring to the boil.
3. Simmer for around 15 minutes and then add the rest of the ingredients except the deep fried onions.
4. Continue to simmer until all the vegetables are tender. Check the seasoning and then serve with the deep-fried onion sprinkled on top.
Variation:
You can also garnish the soup with deep-fried garlic or flaked, toasted almond. For extra depth, try adding some chopped, dried dulse to the soup at the same as the water. For extra body, you can also add some broken up pasta to the soup.
A rich and colourful risotto to appreciate all year round.
Serves 4
Ingredients
250g risotto rice
2 tablespoon Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 carrot
1 clove garlic
1 small onion
1 pack of Clearspring Tamari Roasted Almonds
½ head fennel
1 tablespoon of Clearspring Tamaki sake
1L water
1 Clearspring Miso Bouillon Paste
Method
1. Bring water to the boil and add the bouillon. Leave the water on very low heat for later.
2. Chop the onion, carrot and fennel finely. Crush the almonds.
3. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and add the onion and whole garlic with the skin on.
4. Add the rice and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously.
5. Add the sake and keep stirring until the alcohol has evaporated.
6. Add the carrot, fennel, half the almonds and cook for 2-3 minutes.
7. Add one ladle of bouillon to the rice, cook at very low heat whilst stirring continuously. When the bouillon is absorbed, repeat the operation until the rice is cooked to your liking.
8. Cover the risotto and leave to rest for a minute.
9. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and garnish with the rest of the crushed almonds and fennel fronds.
This risotto is going to change your views on Brussels sprouts forever. A must for the autumn/winter season.
Serves 4
Ingredients
250g risotto rice
2tbsp Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
100g fresh wild mushrooms (or 25g Clearspring Shiitake Mushrooms).
4-5 Brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon of Clearspring Tamaki sake
1L water
1 sachet of Clearspring Miso Bouillon Paste
Method
1. Bring water to the boil and add the bouillon. Leave the water on a very low heat for later.
2. Boil the Brussels sprouts for 5 minutes, cut in quarters and leave aside.
3. Chop the onion and garlic finely.
4. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and add the onion and garlic.
5. Add the rice and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously.
6. Add the sake and keep stirring until the alcohol has evaporated.
7. Wash and cut the mushrooms in chunks, then add to the rice.
8. Add the boiled sprouts.
9. Add one ladle of bouillon to the rice, cook at very low heat whilst stirring continuously. When the bouillon is absorbed, repeat the operation until the rice is cooked to your liking.
10. Cover the risotto and leave to rest for a minute.
11. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil.
This hearty, peasant-style, family dish is perfect to warm up those cold winter nights. Traditionally, it is served at the table straight from the cooking pot by the mamma.
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1tbsp Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium-sized potato
300g of mixed dry beans (any type, in mix or not)
150g Clearspring Spelt Spaghetti
1 piece of Clearspring Kombu (10cm long)
1 piece of Clearspring Wakame (10cm long)
1 sachet of Organic Miso Bouillon Paste
Clearspring Ume Plum Seasoning, to taste
Bay leaf, parsley, fresh thyme or fresh rosemary sprigs for garnish
Method
1. Leave the beans to soak in water overnight.
2. On the day, remove the heart of the garlic cloves. Garlic lovers will simply chop it. For a more subtle taste leave it whole to remove it before serving.
3. Chop the onion finely.
4. Heat up the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and garlic and brown them.
5. In the meantime, chop the potato finely and add it to the browned onions and garlic. Cook on a medium heat for one minute whilst stirring continuously.
6. Add the beans.
7. Cover with water, add the wakame and kombu and let it boil vigorously for 15 minutes, then turn the heat down, cover and simmer for 1h 10 minutes* (or until beans are soft).
8. Remove the garlic (if added whole), the kombu and wakame.
9. Break the spaghetti in 2cm-long pieces and add them to the soup.
10. Add the bouillon and cook on low heat for a further 15 minutes. The soup needs to have a thick but still liquid consistency. Add water if necessary.
11. Add the rosemary 5 minutes before switching the heat off. If using other fresh herbs, add them right before serving.
12. Remove the rosemary when the pasta is cooked and rinse it.
13. Dress the dish with a sprig of rosemary and a drizzle of olive oil.
* If using a pressure cooker, cut that time to 20 minutes.
Ochazuke, a soup of rice and green tea is tasty, warming and couldn't be easier to make. The key ingredient in this ochazuke is umeboshi, but you can also add plenty of topping you like. We've given a few suggestions below. Equally you can use whichever tea in the Clearspring range that you like best, except mu tea, as they all add a different quality.
Serves 4
Ingredients
400-500g hot cooked Clearspring Sushi Rice (white or brown)
Salt
650ml brewed Clearspring Green Tea
8 whole Clearspring Umeboshi
Toppings
Clearspring Organic Rice Crackers with Tamari, lightly crushed
Clearpspring Sushi Ginger
Clearspring Wasabi, mixed to a paste
Spring onions, sliced
Toasted sesame seeds
Clearspring Toasted Fine Cut Nori
Clearspring Instant Wakame Flakes
1. Divide the cooked rice between 4 bowls, sprinkle on a little salt for seasoning.
2. Add 2 umeboshi to each bowl along with a little of the shiso leaf you will find in the jar and whichever toppings you prefer.
3. Pour on the hot tea and enjoy.
These crackers have a really distinctive wakame flavour and lovely crunchy texture. Eat them on their own as a tasty snack or try serving them with these dips:Guacamole, Hummus, Creamy Dill Dip
Makes: 20 crackers approximately.
5g Clearspring Instant Wakame Flakes
100g plain flour
¼ tsp baking powder
2.5 tbsp Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
Put half of the wakame in to a bowl of cold water. Leave to rehydrate for about 5 minutes. Put the rehydrated wakame and 3 tbsp of its soaking water into the blender. Blend to a rough paste. Remove from the blender and put to one side.
Sift the flour and baking powder and put them into a clean blender with the other half of the wakame - which is till dry. Blend until the wakame has broken down into breadcrumb sized pieces. Now tip the flour mix into a bowl.
Make a well in the centre of the flour mix and add the oil and the wakame paste, mix with your hand to a smooth dough, which is soft but not sticky - add a little more water if necessary.
Leave the pastry to rest for 15-20 minutes covered in cling film.
Preheat the oven to 160?C/Gas 3. Lightly flour a clean work surface and roll the pastry out as thin as you can get it - 2-3mm thick is ideal. Cut the pastry into even squares - 5cm approx - and carefully transfer to a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Press three fork marks into each, brush with water and sprinkle on a little sea salt. ‘A little' is the key word here. If you add too much they will be very salty.
Bake the crackers for 12-15 minutes or until they have become hard and very slightly golden. Remove from the oven. Cool on a wire rack and then serve.
Storage: they keep for around a week in an air tight container.
I have just returned from an autumn visit to our suppliers in Japan and China. Every visit presents new opportunities to build trade and strengthen friendships. I also enjoy seeing the changing of the seasons. The leaves on the trees are starting to turn to glorious reds, golds and browns in Asia, just as they are in Europe, and there is a wealth of good things to eat.
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The harvest of tea in tea fields
The tea fields where Clearspring green tea is grown
Although making a cup of tea may seem like a really simple thing, making a really good cup of tea is an art!
Welcome to the second installment of our Green Tea Series. We'll talk you through the different steps to make a great cup of tea and help you choose from our Organic Green Tea Range.
To see the first instalment - Green Tea & Sake Cocktail click here.
The basics:
Teapot or mug?
Water
Storage
Store tea leaves in a cool dark place in an airtight container, otherwise they may discolour or spoil.
The different teas and what to do with them:
Qualities With a slightly grassy aroma and deep rich taste, sencha is the classic Japanese green tea. At Clearspring we harvest the tender first of the season leaves, which are known to be the best due to their brighter colour and gentler, slightly sweeter flavour.
Quantities Loose : 1 heaped teaspoon per person into the teapot
Bag: 1 teabag per person
Water temperature 70-90?C - brewing at this temperature will stop the tea from becoming bitter while allowing the full flavour of the tea to come out.
Brewing time 1-2 minutes
Qualities A combination of premium quality sencha green tea and roasted brown rice, genmaicha has a deliciously nutty taste, it was originally a tea drunk by the poor as the rice acted as a bulking agent meaning that less tea could be used to make it. It is now drunk by all walks of society and makes a popular choice for children too.
Quantities Loose : 1 teaspoon per person
Bag: 1 teabag per person
Water temperature 100?C
Brewing time 2 minutes
Qualities When green tea is roasted over a high heat it becomes hojicha, which has a mellow toasty flavour. Chilled hojicha is a classic summer drink.
Quantities Loose : 2-3 level teaspoons per person
Bag: 1 teabag per person
Water temperature 100?C
Brewing time 2 minutes
Qualities Prepared from the roasted twigs and stems of the tea bush, kukicha is much lower in caffeine than other green teas and has a rich toasty flavour.
Quantities Loose : 3 teaspoons for 1 litre of water (will serve 3-4)
Bag: 1 teabag per person
Water temperature Loose: boil the leaves in the water for 5 mins
Bag: 100?C
Brewing time 5 minutes
Qualities Formulated by the Japanese diet and health philosopher, George Ohsawa, in the 1950s, Mu tea is an invigorating caffeine-free blend of Eastern herbs and spices.
Quantities Bag: 1 teabag per person
Water temperature 100?C
Brewing time 3 minutes
To find out about all the health benefits of green tea, have a look here or for information about our tea producers look here.
Known as Isobeyaki in Japanese these toased rice cakes make a really simple and super tasty snack.
Serves 3
Ingredients
1 sheet Clearspring Sushi Nori
3 Clearspring Brown Rice Mochi
½tbsp Clearspring Sunflower Frying Oil
Clearspring Shoyu Soya Sauce
Heat a little oil in a frying pan, meanwhile remove the mochi from the water and pat dry. Add to the frying pan and fry on a low heat until they are lightly browned on both sides and puffy.
Remove from the pan and drizzle both sides with soya sauce. Cut the nori sheet into 3 long evenly sized strips. Fold a strip of nori around the centre of each mochi and enjoy!
N.B. The centre of the mochi can be quite hot, so be careful not to burn your mouth. Our Clearspring mochi is vacumn packed and always fresh when it's opened, however if you use a little old mochi which become very hard, soak them in water for at least 2 hours before cooking.
Variation: if you do not want to fry the moshi, you can also grill them but you will have to watch them like a hawk as they burn easily.
Harvest time is beginning, with new grains, root vegetables, fruits and my favourite Hokkaido pumpkins starting to show up at the local markets.
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Filled with umami this dish brings out the best of the ingredients in it.
Serves 4
Ingredients
8 dried Clearspring Shiitake Mushrooms
1 Carrot, peeled and sliced into thick rings
½ Lotus root (fresh or packaged), peeled and sliced into rings
1 bamboo shoot (tinned), cut into bite-size pieces
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
750ml dashi
1tsp Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
4tbsp Clearspring Shoyu Soya Sauce or Clearspring Tamari Soya Sauce
3tbsp Clearspring Mikawa Mirin
400g firm tofu, cut into large cubes
8-12 Mange tout, lightly cooked and cooled
Method
Soak the shiitake mushrooms in 250ml of warm water until softened, then remove and discard the stalks, save the cooking liquid.
Put the shiitake, carrot, lotus root, bamboo shoot and potato in a pan with the dashi, mushroom soaking liquid, salt, soya sauce and mirin and simmer until all the ingredients are cooked through. Now add the tofu and continue to simmer until most of the liquid in the pan has evaporated.
Add the mange tout just before serving, so that they heat through without discolouring.
This is a very simple dish, which celebrates the individual flavour of each ingredient.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 strip Clearpring Kombu
1 block Clearspring Tofu
Method
Wipe the kombu with a damp cloth and put it into a pan with 1 litre of cold water and allow to soak for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the tofu into large cubes and leave to soak in cold water. Now slowly heat the pan with the kombu in it. Just before it reaches the boil add a pinch of salt and the drained tofu being careful not to break it. Once the tofu has heated through gently serve. It is nice to serve the tofu directly from the pot.
For dipping sauce:
If you find yudofu a little too plain on its own, you can serve it with this dipping sauce.
Ingredients
440ml Clearspring Tsuyu
1 tbsp Clearspring Mikawa Mirin
1 tbsp Clearspring Shizengo Sake
60ml Cleaspring Soya Sauce
Method
Put the ingredient together in a pan and gently warm through. Take off the heat allow to cool and transfer into dipping bowls.
For garnish:
Sliced spring onions
Serves 4
Ingredients
½L chilled green tea - see recipe
½L pomegranate juice
4 shots Clearspring Shizengo or Clearspring Tamaki Sake
Juice of half a lemon
Method
Grains such as soya and rice are essential ingredients to shojin ryori.
Like shojin ryori, Karesansui gardens (Japanese rock gardens) are one of the many expressions of Zen Buddhism.
The use of any animal, fish or insects for food, as the use of animal products such as eggs or milk is shunned.
For the Zen Buddhist, the ritual of cooking the daily meal is a true expression of their religious discipline, and that is how shojin ryori got its name, which means ‘to progress the spirit'.
As one of the basic precepts of Buddhism is ‘thou shalt not kill', the killing of any animal, fish or insects for food is shunned, as is the use of animal products such as eggs or milk. So, essentially the cuisine consists of grains, vegetables, soya beans or soya based products such as tofu, as well as sea vegetables. The use of pungent flavours such as garlic, onion or strong sauces is also frowned upon. Although this may make shojin ryori seem very limited, it is in fact a complex and tasty cuisine which embraces the essence of every ingredient it includes.
Indeed, it is said that just to make the perfect gomadofu (sesame tofu) - a blend of ground white sesame, kuzu and water - can take up to ten years, not because it is a difficult dish, but because you need to respect the ingredients you are working with, treating them with care and contemplation.
The art of shojin has a long history in Japan, being introduced at the same time as Buddhism in the 6th Century, but it really started to flourish in the 13th Century with the arrival of Zen Buddhism. Since then the cuisine has become ever more elaborate.
As with many of the traditional cuisines of Japan, shojin is based on the philosophy of balance, harmony and simplicity. Each group of seasonal ingredients is carefully combined to create the perfect blend of tastes, colours and cooking methods. It is also a cuisine in which nothing is wasted; every last lettuce leaf or radish top can find a place in a dish and each dish is exquisitely presented despite the humble ingredients. They also play great attention to ensuring that each dish is nutritionally balanced.
Perhaps the best place to experience shojin ryori is Kyoto, the heart of Buddhism in Japan, where you can still sit by a temple garden looking out onto a pond filled with carp and contemplate the beauty, harmony and flavour of the dishes in front of you. If you are not in Kyoto, it is also possible to sample shojin ryori at temples in other towns or if you happen to be in Tokyo there are a couple of restaurants and a cookery school specialising in it. On occasion it is even possible to try it in London, as the British Museum has given demonstrations before.
Typical shojin ingredients:
Soya, miso, seasonal fruits and vegetables, tofu, mushrooms, sea vegetables
Typical shojin dishes:
Yudofu, gomadofu, nishime
By Celia Plender
Photo: Eat-Japan
Kombu is the natural food that contains the highest concentration of glutamate, the main element of the umami taste.
Photo: Eat-Japan
Shiitake mushrooms, are rich in another amino acid responsible for the umami taste: guanylate.
Savoury, earthy, mushroomy - none of them quite fit the bill when trying to describe the ever illusive umami taste. A part of everyday vocabulary in Japan for years, where the word itself means ‘deliciousness', umami is becoming increasingly well known in the UK. Professional chefs and household cooks alike are picking up on its many health and taste benefits. Many Clearspring products are rich in umami and incorporating them into your cooking will give your dishes that instant and unique savoury hit.
Discover Umami-rich Clearspring Products
The Discovery of Umami
So let's start at the beginning with kombu, the sea vegetable. In 1908, the Japanese scientist Dr. Kikunae Ikeda was sitting down to a dish of simmered tofu when it occurred to him that there was a taste there that could not be classified as any of the four known tastes: sweet, salty, bitter or sour; it was a fifth taste, which he later dubbed umami. As the tofu itself had a relatively plain taste, he instinctively knew that it must be the kombu which was responsible for this added dimension in the dish, so he set to work finding out what this taste was. His research led to the identification of the amino acid glutamate, which kombu contains in abundance, as one of the main umami substances.
The Components of Umami
Just as sweetness, for example, can be derived from different substances such as glucose or fructose, umami too comes from a variety of substances. Since the discovery of kombu's glutamate content, other scientists have gone on to find other umami substances in fish, meat, mushrooms and many other ingredients.
Although glutamate sounds similar to monosodium glutamate (MSG), it is important to point out that MSG is an unnatural, chemically synthesised product, while glutamate is a naturally occurring substance which is perfectly safe and healthy. So if you want to boost the umami levels in your dishes without using MSG, you can achieve this by incorporating into your cooking umami-rich Clearspring products, such as Kombu, Miso and Tamari.
Umami throughout the World
Unlike the other basic tastes, umami has the unique quality of bringing the other tastes together to create a more cohesive dish and a fuller taste in the mouth - just as the kombu brought out the best in the simmered tofu.
This, however, does not mean that umami is either a new concept or an exclusively Japanese taste. Umami-rich ingredients can be found in every part of the world and people have been playing with ways of enhancing their cooking with it for millenia. For example, in ancient Rome they had garum - a fermented fish sauce, similar to the modern South East Asian sauces, which was regularly used to season and enhance dishes. Equally, basic soup stocks all over the world tend to be rich in umami as are tomato ketchup and purée, essential store cupboard ingredients in most Western kitchens, and even Marmite.
If you want to try your own experiment, make two pans of risotto, one simply with rice, onions, thyme and stock, the other with the addition of dried porcini mushrooms, which have been rehydrated, and also the liquid that they soaked in. If you taste both risottos, you may find that the first is a little flat, as if something is missing. Now try the second and it will have a much more rounded taste and a greater depth of flavour too. This is due to the umami content of the dried porcini.
Umami-rich Clearspring Products
Umami, the fifth human taste, is often associated with fish, meat and dairy products, but vegan ingredients can also be rich in umami. Many Clearspring products are naturally bursting with umami and can be used to enhance any number of dishes. Umami-rich vegan ingredients include:
Sea vegetables - while kombu has the highest concentration, all sea vegetable varieties contain umami, so incorporate some Clearspring Sea Vegetables into your diet.
Shiitake - drying them also intensifies the umami content; Clearspring Sun Dried Japanese Shiitake are packed with umami.
Soya beans - this includes soya bean products such as miso and soy sauce which are even higher in umami due to the fermentation process. Try using Clearspring Miso as a seasoning, stock or soup base for an instant umami boost. A splash of
Clearspring Organic Tamari Soya Sauce or Shoyu Soya Sauce will also do the trick.
Mirin - another great umami seasoning, adding Clearspring Mirin to you dishes adds both sweetness and depth of flavour.
Sake - umami is an important taste factor for sake, too, and both Clearspring Shizengo Sake and Clearspring Tamaki Sake are rich in the mouthwatering umami taste.
Green tea - green tea contains varying levels of the amino acids responsible for the umami taste, and the Clearspring Green Tea range is no exception.
Other umami ingredients include: potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, Chinese cabbage, asparagus, green peas, spinach and nuts.
Introducing Clearspring’s New Range of Organic Italian Semi Whole Spelt Pastas
Nori is versatile, delicious and healthy. Because nori comes in easy-to-used sheets which can be cut into various shapes and sizes, it can be used in many different ways.
Kyoto, Japan
Welcome to our August newsletter. Right now millions of tons of cereal grains are growing at an amazing rate throughout the Northern hemisphere. Cereal grains have been of paramount importance to the development of mankind. Almost every country, culture and/or empire has enjoyed them as staple foods.
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Abruzzo
Spelt field
Helping out from an early age
Clearpring visit Bioriviera
Uncle with bike gramagrafa
WWF reserve next to pasta plant
The history
In the unspoilt Italian region of Abruzzo, in the ancient village of Spoltore, Fabio and Valentino Bioriviera are carrying on the tradition of pasta making started by their grandfather back in the 1940's. Under his expert tutelage they have mastered the customs behind the creation of fantastic pasta at the same time as pushing boundaries to create the finest organic products.
In 1945, the ‘grain story', as the Bioriviera brothers like to call it, began with their grandfather Emilio. He made pasta in Capestrano (L'Aquila city in Abruzzo) using traditional techniques and with the aid of a water-powered stone mill for grinding the grains. The path from there takes us round the world to Venezuela where he and his wife decided to start a pasta production business. However, finally in 1964, they returned to their native Italy to establish the Pastificio Riviera business near Pescara in Abruzzo.
This is where Valentino and Fabio enter the story. From a young age they helped their grandfather in his business. Starting with the simplest of jobs, their responsibilities and their passion for pasta-making quickly grew. Then, in 2006, when their grandfather retired, they took over the business.
Since then there have been a few changes. Their grandfather still lives across the road offering his expert advice and encouragement, but the brothers now focus more on organic and ancient grains, such as spelt, embracing a mixture of age-old methods and modern innovation. Indeed, the town they live in - Spoltore - actually takes its name from the Latin name for spelt, which goes to show just how long this grain has been being used in the Abruzzo region.
For optimum nutrition, the brothers use semi-polished spelt and wheat to make their pasta, which retains all the benefit of the wholegrain whilst offering a lighter texture. As spelt thrives in hilly areas with sunny days and cool evenings, Abruzzo offers the ideal conditions. Spelt is also ideally suited to organic farming as it is relatively cold, disease and weed resistant. Wheat, on the other hand, needs more sun, warm weather and flat ground to grow on, so, the brothers source the best organic wheat from regions such as Puglia and Sicily.
The process
The whole grains are gently milled, removing only the coarsest bran. Once the flour has been mixed into pasta dough, it is pushed through traditional bronze moulds, giving the pasta a rough surface ideal for absorbing the flavours of the sauce. The pasta shapes are then dried at below 60° for 24 hours. During the process strict attention is paid to the balance between heat and humidity, which is fundamental to the quality of the finished pasta; the humidity is never allowed to reach more than 12.5%. If there is too much humidity in the process, the pasta becomes tarnished with white spots caused by moisture trapped inside it.
The drying process itself consists of two parts:
- Pre-drying - ½ hour at higher temperature i.e. 60°
- Drying - 24 hours at 55°
We believe that the pasta that Bioriviera produces is of exceptional quality. Our guarantee is that it will always be 100% organic and 100% delicious. Fabio and Valentino are both generous and enthusiastic and we at Clearspring are happy and proud to include their products in our European range.
With its attractive appearance and fresh flavours, this salad perks up wilted appetites in mid-summer.
Serves 4
Ingredients
250g Clearspring Whole Wheat or Spelt Penne
1 carrot, quartered lengthwise and sliced
1 cup peas
1 small cucumber, quartered lengthwise and sliced
1/2 red or green pepper, seeded and diced
3 spring onions, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh coriander or flat leaf parsley, chopped
For dressing
1/3 cup orange juice
3tbs tahini
1 1/2 tbs fresh lemon juice
1 tbs fresh ginger juice
1 tbs Clearspring Rice Malt Syrup
1 tbs Clearspring Toasted Sesame Oil
1 tbs Clearspring Shoyu Soya Sauce
1 tbs fresh coriander or flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 ts Dijon mustard
1/4 ts Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
1/8 ts freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Cook the pennette in plenty of boiling, salted water according to the directions on the pack, until ‘al dente'. Drain and immediately rinse with cold water until cool. Set aside.
2. Bring 1 litre of lightly salted water to the boil in a small saucepan, add the carrot, simmer for 1 minute, add the peas and cook for 2 more minutes. Immediately drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine the pennette, carrots, peas, cucumber, peppers, spring onions and coriander or parsley.
4. In a small bowl whisk all the dressing ingredients together until well blended. Drizzle about 1/3 cup of dressing over the pasta and vegetables. Add more dressing, if desired. If the salad sits before serving, toss it again at the last minute.
2. Cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling, salted water according to the directions on the pack, until ‘al dente'. Drain and immediately rinse with cold water.
3. While the spaghetti is cooking, whisk together the peanut oil, tamari, lemon juice, grated ginger, garlic, salt and toasted sesame oil. Add the coriander.
4. In a large bowl, toss the spaghetti with the dressing, add the steamed vegetables and spring onions, toss well and serve with a sprinkling of tamari-roasted almonds.
Although nothing can beat the taste of a fresh tomato sauce made from just-picked, sun-ripened Roma tomatoes, this is the next best thing. Since tomato season is so short, we enjoy this delicious and simple sauce the rest of the year. This quantity of sauce goes with about 500 grams of pasta, but you can cook less pasta and store the remaining sauce in the refrigerator. Use within 5 days.
Makes about 1 litre of sauce/ Serves 6
Ingredients
3tbsp Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 ts dried oregano
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or crushed (about 2 tsp)
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 stick celery, finely chopped
800g tinned organic chopped tomatoes
1tsp Clearspring Mikawa Mirin
500 grams Clearspring Semi Whole Wheat Fusilli
2 tbs fresh basil, coarsely chopped
CLearspring Traditional Sea Salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method
1. In a medium saucepan heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over a medium-low heat, add oregano, onion and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes.
2. Add the carrot, celery and a small pinch of salt and sauté briefly. Cover and cook for about 8-10 minutes, until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
3. While vegetables are cooking, put 3 litres of water for boiling pasta in a large pot over a high heat.
4. Add the tomatoes and mirin to the vegetables, increase the heat to high until simmering, then lower to medium and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
5. When the sauce is nearly done, add a teaspoon of salt and the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the directions on the pack, until ‘al dente'.
6. While the pasta is cooking, remove the sauce from the heat, stir in the basil and remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Drain the pasta, toss it with enough sauce to coat generously, and serve immediately.
2. In a small saucepan heat the peanut oil over a medium-low heat and sauté the shallot, garlic and chilli for 1-2 minutes. Add the cumin and sauté briefly.
3. Combine the peanut butter and the next 4 ingredients in a small bowl, mixing well. Add the mixture to the saucepan and bring to a simmer. Very gently simmer for 1 minute and remove from the heat. Add the last 3 ingredients. If too thick, add a little more coconut milk or water.
4. Toss the peanut sauce with the fusilli and serve.
Garlic and olive oil (known as aglio e olio) are the quintessential flavours of Italian cuisine. This dish is one of our family favourites. It's very simple, but timing is crucial, so prepare everything before you begin cooking. The vegetables must be done by the time the pasta is cooked. You can vary this recipe endlessly, depending on your mood and what you have on hand.
Serves 3
Ingredients
1 carrot, thinly cut into 3-4 cm julienne strips
10-12 asparagus spears, cut on the diagonal into 4 cm lengths (discard tough ends)
3 tbsp Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped (about 3 teaspoons)
50g Clearspring Shiitake Mushrooms, discard stalks and thinly slice caps
250g Clearspring Semi Whole Wheat Spaghetti
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
50g Kalamata olives, pitted and quartered
Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt or herb salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
Method
1. Place carrots in a steamer basket over 2 cm boiling water, cover, and steam for 3 minutes, or until just cooked. Rinse carrots with cold water until cool and set aside. Add the asparagus to the steamer and steam for about 5 minutes, or until just cooked. Rinse with cold water and set aside.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan or sauté pan over a medium-low heat, add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the shiitake and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté for about 4 minutes, or until the shiitake are tender.
3. Bring plenty of salted water to the boil and add the spaghetti, stirring until the water returns to a rapid boil.
4. While the spaghetti is cooking, place the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large bowl along with the basil, olives and a generous pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
5. Add the steamed carrots, asparagus and parsley to the shiitake and sauté over a medium heat to warm the vegetables. Add a little salt and pepper to taste, if desired.
6. When the spaghetti is ‘al dente', drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water, and immediately toss the spaghetti with the basil and olives. Add the vegetables, mix well, and serve immediately, adding a little of the reserved cooking water, if the pasta begins to stick together.
Method
1. Bring 1 litre of water to the boil in a saucepan. Drop in the onions, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain the water from the pan.
2. Cover the onions with cold water, and let sit a few minutes or until cool enough to handle. Slice the tips off the root ends, and pinch to squeeze out the onions. Set aside.
3. In a large frying pan, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the garlic, mushrooms, and salt, and sauté for 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms are soft.
4. Add the cooked onions to the mixture, along with the wine, shoyu, bay leaf, thyme, and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer, loosely covered, for 20 to 25 minutes.
5. In a large pot bring 3 litres of water to the boil for the spaghetti. Do not add the pasta until the sauce is nearly done, as the timing is important. The sauce must be done when the pasta is finished. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons oil to the boiling water, then add the spaghetti and stir until the water returns to a boil. Cook according to the directions on the pack.
6. Once the pasta begins cooking, remove and discard the bay leaf from the sauce. Dissolve the kuzu in 2 tablespoons cold water and slowly add to the sauce while stirring constantly. Add only enough to make a thin sauce consistency. Add half the parsley and simmer for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
7. Drain the spaghetti, catching and reserving at least 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Immediately add the pasta to the sauce, stir well and serve garnished with the remaining parsley. If necessary, add some or all of the reserved cooking water to achieve the proper consistency.
This tasty pasta salad is perfect for a summer picnic or potluck party.
Serves 4
Ingredients
220g Clearspring Semi Whole Wheat Fusilli
2 cups green beans, cut into 3-4cm lengths
1/3 cup pine nuts or slivered almonds
1/3 cup pitted, sliced Kalamata olives
1/4 cup chopped spring onions
1/4 cup capers
3 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped
For dressing
80ml Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive or Olive-Flax Oil
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp Organic White Wine Vinegar
2 tsp Ume Plum Seasoning or 2 pinches Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp Clearspring Rice Malt Syrup (optional)
1 clove garlic, crushed or 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
A generous pinch of black pepper
2 tsp fresh chopped thyme, marjoram or oregano, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
Method
1. Cook the fusilli according to the directions on the pack until ‘al dente', then immediately drain, rinse in a cold water bath, drain and set aside.
2. Drop the green beans into boiling, lightly salted water and simmer for about 5 minutes, until just cooked. Drain, plunge into cold water to set the colour, drain and leave to one side.
3. Toast the pine nuts in an un-oiled pan over a medium heat, stirring constantly for 3-5 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients.
5. Combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl, add the dressing and mix well. If time allows, let chill for 30 minutes before serving.
Method
1. In an un-oiled frying pan over a medium heat, toast the pine nuts, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Immediately remove from pan to prevent overcooking.
2. Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. If too thick, add a little water.
3. This pesto will keep in the refrigerator for a few days, and can be used with hot pasta or grain or pasta salads.
Quick and easy to make, this attractive, delicious salad is a summer crowd pleaser.
Serves 4
Ingredients
220g Clearspring Semi Whole Wheat or Spelt Penne
1 1/2 cups mange tout, halved on the diagonal
1 cup sliced cucumber
1 cup small cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, broken
1/2 - 3/4 cup Tofu Pesto
Method
1. Cook the pennette according to the direction on the pack until ‘al dente', then immediately drain, rinse in a cold water bath, drain and set aside.
2. Steam or blanche the mange tout for 1 minute, then immediately remove and plunge into a bowl of cold water. Drain and set aside.
3. Combine all ingredients in a serving bowl, tossing well to coat evenly with the pesto. Serve.
Serves 8
Ingredients
120g Organic Semi Whole Wheat or Spelt Penne
2 cups dried cannellini, pinto or kidney beans
10 cups water
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large bay leaf, broken into 2-3 pieces
1/3 cup pasta sauce
1 tbsp Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 onions, diced
3 carrots, diced
2 sticks celery, sliced
1/6 head cabbage, sliced crosswise into thin strips
1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
1/2 tablespoon fresh chopped marjoram or oregano, or 1/4 teaspoon dried
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
Black pepper to taste (optional)
2 tsp Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
Method
1. Wash beans, cover with fresh water, and leave to soak for 8-12 hours. Drain, and combine with the water and 1 clove of the garlic in a large pot. Bring to the
boil, lower heat, and simmer, covered, until beans are just tender (about 2 hours).
2. When tender, add salt, bay leaf, and pasta sauce and continue simmering.
3. Meanwhile, sauté remaining garlic and onion in olive oil over a low heat. Add carrots, celery, cabbage, and salt, and sauté briefly. Add water to cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
4. Add vegetables to beans and cook together 5-10 minutes.
5. Add pasta and simmer until pasta is ‘al dente', stirring occasionally and adding more water if needed to prevent pasta from sticking.
6. Add the herbs for the last minute or two of cooking. Add more salt or soy sauce to taste, if needed. Serve hot.
When I first visited Japan on July 3rd 1979, Mr Kazama from Mitoku Company took me to Sendai Miso Shoyu Company.
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Made in the wild and mountainous Abruzzo region of central Italy, Clearspring organic pasta range is produced from the finest, locally grown, organic spelt and durum wheat.
With the help of an expert pasta maker, we have used age-old techniques to create this exceptional range of semi-wholegrain pasta.
The whole grains are gently milled, removing only the coarsest bran. Once the flour has been mixed into pasta dough it is pushed through traditional bronze moulds, which give the pasta a rough surface ideal for absorbing the flavours of your favourite pasta sauce.
The pasta is slowly dried at below 60?C for optimum flavour and texture. The resulting pasta is light, delicious and easy to cook and bursting with the nutritional goodness and flavour of the whole grain.
Organic Semi Whole Wheat Pasta
- Spaghetti
- Penne
- Fusilli
Durum wheat is the grain of choice for pasta-making due to its hardy nature and high protein content. Cooked al dente, durum wheat pasta has a low GI.
Organic Semi Whole Spelt Pasta
- Spaghetti
- Penne
Spelt is an ancient grain related to wheat dating back to the Roman times. It has a pleasant, nutty flavour and many nutritional benefits.
Available in 500g pack
Producer - Bioriviera, Italy
Steaming rice for Clearspring Organic Mikawa Mirin
Yoshiaki Sakurai drying noodles for Clearspring
Clearspring's sake producer preparing rice for brewing
Clearspring has long-established and close working relationships with the finest producers of traditional Japanese foods.
Over the centuries the Japanese have developed a unique cultural skill of constant refinement and attention to detail in their arts and crafts. This skill applied to food production has created some remarkable Japanese foods.
Clearspring founder, Christopher Dawson, lived in Japan for eighteen years from 1980, during which time he travelled extensively throughout the country, seeking out the finest producers of traditional Japanese foods.
Such was his enthusiasm for the foods he discovered that he set up Clearspring with the aim of introducing people around the world to the delights of hand crafted Japanese foods, maintaining the viability of the producers' age-old techniques and providing economic stability for the local communities.
Each Clearspring Japanese food is made to a centuries-old recipe using techniques that have evolved through generations of skilled craftsmen.
In Japanese cuisine there is more emphasis on vegetable quality foods than animal foods. The huge variety of seasonal foods results in an appreciation of when the different foods are in season and their suitability for providing satisfaction at that time of year when their quality is at its best. Also, there is less emphasis on heavy main courses and overly sweet desserts.
The Japanese people value subtle tastes and flavours. Appearance is almost as important as the actual taste and the quality of each dish is more important than the quantity. Care is taken to make the prepared foods very digestible, so you can leave the table feeling satisfied on all levels without feeling stuffed.
These differences could be explained by the relative scarcity of arable land in Japan, which has created the need to gain the maximum nutrition value from the available grains, vegetables, fresh fruits and limited animal products. Culturally, Buddhist traditions have emphasised vegetarianism. Japan's distinct four season climate has also had a profound influence on the cuisine.
Granola is great as a breakfast, dessert or snack ingredient. Sprinkle it onto fresh fruit salad and Clearspring fruit purées, mix it with rice milk like a breakfast cereal or enjoy the nutty clusters alone.
Makes around 500g
Ingredients
150g rolled oats
100g whole almonds
4tbsp (heaped) sesame seeds
3tbsp (heaped) toasted sunflower seeds
30g natural wheat bran
5tbsp Clearspring Hazelnut Oil
5-6tbsp Clearspring Rice Malt Syrup
2 packs Clearspring Organic Seeds, Soya and Cranberry
50g raisins
150g natural dried fruits and berries
Method
Variation
You can add more or less any nuts or grains to granola, simply choose your favourite ones. For a little twist try adding a pinch of powdered cinnamon, ginger or nutmeg to the mix before baking.
Don’t accept imitations - Clearspring Organic Japanese Tamari Soya Sauce is the Real Deal
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Impressive, gorgeous looking maki. Just follow the steps!
Ingredients
230g Clearspring Sushi Rice (cooked and seasoned with sushi vinegar - click here for method)
1-2 Clearspring Shiitake Mushrooms, soaked for 15mins in warm water (retain water) with hard stems removed and finely sliced.
1/2 avocado
1/2 cucumber
1 sheet Clearspring Sushi Nori
2 tbsp Clearspring Green Nori Sprinkle
1 tbsp Clearspring Mikawa Mirin
2 tbsp Clearspring Shoyu Soya Sauce or Clearspring Tamari Soya Sauce
Equipments
Clearspring Sushi Mat
Clingfilm
Method
1. Place the shiitake in a pan with the retained soaking water and season with the mirin and shoyu or tamari soya sauce. Bring to the boil and simmer until the liquid has completely evaporated (roughly 15mins), then leave to cool. Cut the skinned and stoned avocado and cucumber into long thin strips.
2. Place a piece of clingfilm on the sushi mat and the nori on top. Spread the sushi rice over the nori, then sprinkle the green nori sprinkle over the surface. Turn the layer of nori and rice upside down onto the clingfilm so that the nori is now on top.
3. Place the avocado, cucumber and shiitake mushrooms evenly down the centre. Roll the mat up from the near edge. Remove the roll from the mat and clingfilm and slice into 6 pieces with a wet knife.
Mix the rice and the seasoning while the rice is still hot.
After making a rice ball with your hands, delicately insert it in the tofu pocket.
Close one fold of the pocket onto the other, making sure to leave out the air inside.
Also called oinarisan in a more informal way in Japan, inari sushi is a simple and fun to make sushi. Just rice balls inside a deep-fried tofu bag, enjoy!
Serves 4 (or 12 inari)
Ingredients
250g Clearspring Sushi Brown Rice
Clearspring Sushi Ginger (to taste)
2tbsp Clearspring Sushi Rice Seasoning
or
2tbsp Shiso Condiment
6 deep Fried Tofu (Aburaage) pockets*
1 piece of Clearspring Kombu
4 Clearspring Shiitake Mushrooms
2tbsp Clearspring Shoyu Soya Sauce
3tbsp Clearspring Mikawa Mirin
*although Aburaage is not available in many shops, you will be able to get them in Japanese food speciality shops.
Method
1. Prepare the two Clearspring Kombu and three dried shiitake or maitake mushrooms in about 2 litres of water for at least 15 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, and thinly slice the caps. Then return them to the water, bring it to the boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove the kombu and keep it to use for cooking as a condiment or with beans.
">dashi by soaking separately the kombu in 150ml water and the shiitake in 50ml and leave for later.
2. Cook the brown rice as instructed on pack.
3. Cut the tofu pockets in 2 and open them like little pouches by separating the two folds.
4. Add them to boiling water and leave them for 10minutes (the pockets will get softer by the time you use them).
5. Drain the pockets and put them in a saucepan to further cook them: add the kombu and shiitake dashi and the mirin. Then add the 3 tablespoons of shoyu in 3 times by pouring it over the pockets. Cook the pockets on medium heat until absorption of the liquid (it can take up to 25minutes).
6. Once the rice is ready, add the shiso condiment or the sushi rice seasoning and mix.
7. Once the rice has cooled down, take a handful of rice and form a "rectangular" ball of rice with your hands. Use one hand as a mould and the other one to shape the rice ball.
8. Insert the ball into the tofu pocket and re-close
9. Serve with sliced sushi ginger.
Recipe by Ohka.
Top tips
The food
Keep it simple, finger food, dips, grains, salads and skewers are the easiest things, here is a list of some of our favourite picnic recipes:
Crunchy Nori Bundles with Peanut Dressing
Watercress Arame Salad with Sweet & Sour Dressing
Picnic games
Here are some of our favourites:
Rounders, a great British institution.
Pétanque or boules, all you need is a nice even piece of ground and you're away!
Kusazumo or ‘grass sumo', take two opponents and two long pieces of grass, loop the grass together and pull. The competitor whose grass snaps first is the loser.
Daisy chains, a childhood classic.
Frisbee, a great excuse for lots of running around.
Tree climbing, you're never too old.
Picnic places
Famous picnic spots around the world
This recipe is a take on Agedashi Tofu, a very popular dish in Japan.
Serve 4
Ingredients
1 medium sized Aubergine
2tbsp flour
2tbsp Clearspring Kuzu
2 Clearspring Shiitake Mushrooms
4g Clearspring Kombu
4tbsp Clearspring Shoyu Soya Sauce
2tbsp Clearspring Mikawa Mirin
3tsp Clearspring Wasabi
200ml Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive Oil
a pinch of Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
Method
1. Make the Dashi by soaking the shiitake and kombu in 500ml water for 30min
2. Bring the mix to a boil and take Kombu out just before boiling
3. Add Mirin and Shoyu and leave to cool
4. Slice the aubergine into 1.5mm thick pieces and soak in a water for 10min
5. Mix flour and kuzu, add a little bit salt
6. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan or wok
7. Coat the aubergine slices with the flour mix and put it in the hot oil, turn if necessary. Cook until the aubergine is soft (the flour mix is unlikely to go brown, so check regularly the
8. Prepare the wasabi by mixing 2tsp water with the wasabi powder until it forms a paste
9. Put wasabi paste into the dashi and stir.
10. Serve the aubergine in the dashi, with some grated daikon or radish on top
Alternatives:
Depending on the time of year, you can use other seasonal vegetables such as okra, sweet potato, onio rings, courgettes, etc.
This spicy salad is quick to make and is a great refreshing dish for the spring and summer time.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
1 medium-sized broccoli
10 okra
8 green asparagus
1/4 green cabbage
2tbsp Clearspring Wasabi or to taste
2tbsp Clearspring Mikawa Mirin
2tbsp Clearspring Shoyu Soya Sauce
2 tbsp Clearspring Brown Rice Vinegar
2 tbsp Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive or Clearspring Toasted Sesame Oil
a pinch of Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
toasted sesame seeds, to decorate
Method
1. Cut the broccoli into florets, slice the okra in to 1cm pieces, cut the asparagus in 4 and chop the cabbage finely.
2. Bring all the vegetables to the boil in a saucepan of salted water and simmer for a few minutes until the vegetables are tender. Drain.
3. In a salad bowl mix together the shoyu, mirin, brown rice vinegar and wasabi and then add the vegetables while they are still warm. Leave them to cool.
4. Drizzle on the oil and serve with a few sesame seeds on top.
Clearspring Kombu and three dried shiitake or maitake mushrooms in about 2 litres of water for at least 15 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, and thinly slice the caps. Then return them to the water, bring it to the boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove the kombu and keep it to use for cooking as a condiment or with beans. ">Dashi is the backbone of so much Japanese cuisine, as it imparts a mouth-filling umami taste to dishes. Here is a delicious recipe for vegetarian (shojin) dashi.
2 x 15cm pieces Clearsping Kombu
3 Clearspring Shiitake Mushrooms
2L water
Variation: the shiitake mushrooms can be substituted for Maitake Mushrooms.
Everyone loves this delicious Middle Eastern dip. Eat it with home-made flatbread or pita, if you are feeling lazy.
Serves 6-8 as a snack
Ingredients
125g dry chickpeas or one 400g tin (miss out step 1 and 2 if using a tin)
1 strip Clearspring Kombu
1.5tbsp Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 cloves garlic
2tsp Clearspring Sesame Oil
Juice of 1/2 - 1 lemon
1tbsp toasted sesame seeds
40-50ml water
Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt to taste
Method
Tip
Cooking pulses with kombu reduces the cooking time at the same time as adding a little extra umami to the dish.
Variations
You can also try blending fresh spinach, roasted peppers or toasted cumin seeds with your hummus for a bit of added flavour. Alternatively sprinkle a little dukka on top.
I like to think of May as the breakthrough month. Many countries celebrate independence, new constitutions, Labour days, Children's Day in some Asian countries and more. Meanwhile, farmers and gardeners are frantically sowing seeds to enjoy the burst of spring growth after the dormant winter.
Serves 2 to 4 persons
Ingredients
8-10 Brussel sprouts
3 tbsp Clearspring Brown Rice Vinegar
2 heaped tbsp Clearspring Sweet White Miso
1 tsp Wholegrain French Mustard
1 pinch of Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
Method
1. Cut the sprouts in half and remove the hard core.
2. Boil the sprouts in salted water until 'al dente' and then drain.
3. Make the dressing by mixing the vinegar, miso and mustard.
4. Mix the dressing and the sprouts together. Serve.
Make a bundle using your thumb and index finger.
Cook the shiitake mushrooms in tamari until absorption of the sauce.
Roll the soba sushi just as a normal rice sushi and by maintaining tighly the noodles.
Makes 24 rolls (4 to 5 persons)
Ingredients
25g Clearspring Shiitake Mushrooms
2tbsp Clearspring Toasted Sesame Oil
2tbsp Clearspring Tamari Soya Sauce
250g Clearspring Soba
4 Clearspring Sushi Nori
Clearspring Wasabi - to taste
Method
1. Cook the soba as instructed on the pack. Drain and put them into a bowl of cold water.
2. Using the thumb and index finger, take some noodles from the bowl and make a 20-22 cm long and 2cm thick bundle. Leave it to drain on a clean tea towel. Repeat until no noodles are left in the water and ensure the bundles are all of a similar size.
3. Soak the shiitake mushroom in cold water. Once rehydrated, cut the stem off and discard. Thinly slice the cap.
4. In a sauce pan, heat the toasted sesame oil and add the mushrooms. Leave to cook on a medium heat for a few seconds. Add tamari and cover with a lid. Turn off the heat and leave to one side.
5. Mix the wasabi powder into a paste with a little water.
6. Place a nori sheet on a sushi matt in front of you and place the noodles on it horizontally. Use as many bundles of soba noodles as necessary to cover almost the whole nori sheet, leaving 2 cm free at the top.
7. Place a line of shiitake and a line of wasabi next to it.
8. Roll using the same method as the rice sushi roll.
9. Cut the rolled soba noodles in 6 pieces starting with the middle.
Tip: use the end pieces of the roll as decoration.
Recipe by Ohka-san.
This colourful salad is a Clearspring alternative to a classic Japanese summer dish served from June to September. "Chu-ka" is in reference to the Chinese origins of ramen noodles, which are normally served with this dressing.
Serves 4
Ingredients
For dressing
60ml Clearspring Soya Sauce
60ml Clearspring Brown Rice Vinegar
60ml Clearspring Mikawa Mirin
1 tbsp Clearspring Toasted Sesame Oil
2 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp Freshly Grated Ginger
Dash of hot chilli oil (optional)
For salad
4 tbsp dried Clearspring Instant Wakame Flakes
300g firm tofu
3 tbsp Clearspring Sunflower Frying Oil
1/2 cucumber
2 carrots
2 tbsp Clearspring Sushi Ginger
250g Clearspring Udon Noodles
For garnish
Sesame seeds
Method
1. Cut the vegetables, pickled ginger and tofu into fine strips. Put the instant wakame flakes in a bowl of cold water.
2. Cook the noodles as per instructions below. Once cooked, cool them down by rinsing under cold water.
3. Heat the sunflower oil in a pan and fry the tofu strips for 5 minutes, then turn them over when they are golden-brown in colour.
4. Prepare the dressing by mixing all the liquids and adding the freshly grated ginger.
5. Serve the dish with a handful of cold noodles, covered with the 4 toppings arranged in neat strips. Pour some dressing over. Finish off the presentation with some sushi ginger on top and sesame seeds.
Cooking Japanese Noodles
Since most Japanese noodles are made with salt, you don’t need to add salt to the cooking water. You need about 2.5 litres boiling water for every 250 grams of noodles. Add the noodles a few at a time so the water doesn’t stop boiling. Stir gently until the water is boiling rapidly again to prevent the noodles from sticking to the bottom of the pan. If too many noodles are added at once, the water won’t return to the boil quickly enough, and the noodles will overcook on the outside and undercook on the inside. Also, using too little water will result in sticky, unevenly cooked noodles.
Some Japanese cooks boil them as described above, but add a cup of cold water once the water comes to the boil. When the water returns to a boil again, another cup of cold water is added. This is repeated three or four times until the noodles are cooked.
Either way, you need to test the noodles frequently to make sure they don’t overcook. A properly cooked noodle is slightly chewy and the same colour throughout. Once cooked, immediately drain and rinse the noodles in two or three changes of cold water or under cold running water. This stops them cooking any further and keeps the noodles from sticking together. If necessary, reheat by putting them in a colander and submerging them in a pot of boiling water until just heated. Drain well and serve.
Clearspring's classic Instant Miso Soup, previously only available as a powder, is now available as a paste in new 15g single serving sachets.
Mr. Ishiba, Japanese Minister of Agriculture and Christopher
Welcome to our April newsletter.
The Dawson family featured for ideas to healthy school lunchboxes.
How ;
This pasta dish is great served warm or cold. Why not enjoy it as part of a tasty picnic.
Serves 4
Ingredients
380g Clearpsring Semi Wholewheat or Spelt Penne Pasta
½ butternut squash, cut into bit-sized pieces
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2tbsp lemon juice
2tsp lemon zest
6tbsp Clearspring Avocado Oil
40g spinach
1tbsp sage, chopped
Method
Variation
For a bit of a kick, add a pinch of chilli flakes to the oil at the same time as the garlic.
Quick to prepare and very refreshing, the tofu in this recipe will help to keep you cool on a sunny day.
Serves 4
Ingredients
10g Clearspring Wakame Flakes
1tbsp Clearspring Tamari Soya Sauce
1tbsp Clearspring Balsamic Vinegar
4tbsp Clearspring Avocado Oil
300g Clearspring Tofu
300g tomatoes
Method
Serves 4
Ingredients
28g Clearspring Shiitake Mushrooms
8 medium-sized field mushrooms
1tbsp Clearspring Avocado Oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small onion, diced
40g fresh breadcrumbs - brown or white
Zest of 1 lemon
1 pack Clearspring Tamari Roasted Styrian Pumpkin Seeds, crushed
1tsp thyme, chopped
1tsp parsley, chopped
Method
Variation
You can also add a little Clearspring Atlantic Sea Vegetables Salad to the breadcrumb mix before you put it into the mushrooms for extra nutrition.
Crunchy and light, the orange and carrot in this recipe complement each other perfectly.
Serves 4
Ingredients
3 carrots
2 celery sticks
1 large orange (or 2 medium)
4 tbsp Clearspring Tunisian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbsp Clearspring White Wine Vinegar
1 handful of toasted pine nuts
Fresh coriander
Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Method
Variation: add cumin powder to the water when boiling the carrots.
The lemon juice in this hearty soup gives it a light and refreshing finish.
Serves 4
Ingredients
250g cooked chickpeas
2 carrots
4 celery sticks
1 onion
1 garlic clove
4 tbsp Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Lemon
A pinch of crushed coriander seeds
Fresh Coriander
Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt, to taste
Pepper
Method
Clearspring ;
Grown and hand-picked to traditional methods in the mountainous Zaghouan region of Tunisia, the olives in Clearspring ;
This delicious Egyptian nut and spice blend is perfect for any drinks party or pre-dinner snack. Have it on its own with a little bread and oil or use it as a seasoning for stews, rice dishes, salads, warm vegetables or sprinkle onto hummus.
Ingredients
90g Hazelnuts
90g Sesame seeds
30g Cumin seeds
60g Coriander seeds
Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt, to taste
1 pack Clearspring Roasted Seeds and Soya
To serve
Clearspring Organic Tunisian Extra Virgin Olive Oil, as needed
flatbread or North African bread, as needed.
Method
To serve
Dip warm bread or flat bread into Clearspring Tunisian Extra Virgin Olive Oil and then into the dukka.
Storage
Dukka will keep in an air-tight container, so you can enjoy it whenever you like.
Variation
If you want do add something a little different, try toasting 5g of Clearspring Atlantic Sea Salad and adding it to the blended mixture.
This delicious Tunisian salad makes a great lunch or light dinner. Serve warm or cold with some couscous rice or bread.
Serves 2
1 courgette
1 aubergine
1 large onion
1 green pepper
2 large mild, green chillies
2 whole heads of garlic
Some lemon juice
Clearspring Organic Tunisian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
Cut the courgette, aubergine and onion into thin slices and grill them carefully on a barbecue or in a char-grill pan until softened. Grill or roast the whole peppers and garlic until softened then peel. Arrange everything on separate plates and sprinkle the courgette, aubergine, peppers and chillies with lemon juice; season the garlic and onion with Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt. Drizzle on a little Organic Tunisian Extra Virgin Olive Oil over the plates before serving.
Variation:
1 Courgette
1 aubergine
Herbs de Provence
Some fresh mint leaves
Clearspring Organic Tunisian Olive Oil
Cut the courgette and aubergine into thin slices and grill as above. Arrange on the same dish and season with Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt, herbs de Provence and a few fresh mint leaves on each layer. Pour quite a bit of Clearspring Organic Extra Virgin Tunisian Olive Oil onto the vegetables and marinate them for at least 20 minutes.
A recipe by Viktoria Hassouna from her book, Natives Olivenöl - Was Sie über Olivenöl wissen sollten.
I was lucky to have spent my Christmas and New Year in Japan and China. During this time, I visited a ;
Treat Your Tastebuds with Clearspring’s New Improved Organic Teriyaki Sauce.
This deep-fried tofu dish is a simple, classic yet gorgeous way to serve hot tofu as a starter or as a side.
Serves 6 (2 pieces per person)
Ingredients
600g Clearspring Tofu
25g Clearspring Kuzu
30g Plain Flour
300ml Clearspring Sunflower Frying Oil
For dressing
250ml Clearspring Kombu and three dried shiitake or maitake mushrooms in about 2 litres of water for at least 15 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, and thinly slice the caps. Then return them to the water, bring it to the boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove the kombu and keep it to use for cooking as a condiment or with beans.
">dashi
2 or 3 tbsp Clearspring Soya Sauce
2 tbsp Clearspring Mikawa Mirin (optional)
Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt (to taste)
For the presentation
1/2 Clearspring Nori Sheet
OR 2 spring onions
OR grated daikon and ginger
AND/OR sesame seeds
Method
20 min before: prepare the dashi (Japanese stock): soak the kombu and shiitake in 250ml of water
1. Extract gently from its package the tofu and cut into 3cm cubes
2. Mix the kuzu powder, flour and a pinch of fine sea salt
3. Heat the dashi (Japanese stock) and remove kombu just before boiling point. Simmer for 5 minutes, remove the shiitake. Add the kuzu (5g), mirin (optional) and shoyu and take off the heat when translucent
4. Heat oil
5. Dip Tofu in powder mix and gently and carefully place it in the oil
6. Turn Tofu if necessary and deep-fry until golden colour on all sides
7. Take the Tofu out of the oil. Leave to rest on tissue paper (this will absorb extra oil)
8. To serve: put 2 pieces in a small dish, add the dressing and use the nori sheets and/or spring onions to finish the dish
You can enjoy the taste of fresh fruit all year with this dessert, using Clearspring Organic Fruit Purées. It is delicious, light and refreshing.
Serves 4
Ingredients
3 Clearspring Apple and Mango Fruit Purées
1tsp grated fresh ginger
Juice of 1 orange
1tbsp Clearspring Safflower Oil
300g Clearspring Tofu
Method
Alternative
You can try making this with any of our delicious fruit purées.
Here is a deliciously refreshing drink using kuzu, which is a great aid to digestion and a popular addition to a macrobiotic diet.
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 apple
2 cups apple juice
Cinnamon to taste (about a teaspoon)
2 tsp Cleasrpring Kuzu
Add some raisins or cranberries if you like.
Method
Cut the apple into chunks and simmer in the apple juice for at least 20 minutes adding the cinnamon and dried fruit after about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat. Mix the kuzu with a little water to make a smooth paste. Then add the slurry to the warm liquid - make sure it is not boiling. Stir constantly to avoid lumps. The liquid will turn cloudy and then clear up in about 3-5 minutes and thicken.
Serve warm.
Variation:
You can also make this recipe using 1 tub of your favourite Clearspring Organic Fruit Purée with 2 cups of apple juice or water. Simmer for around 10 minutes with the cinnamon and dried fruit already added and then stir in the kuzu and continue as above.
Based on a recipe by Teddy Babcock http://funwithyourfood.blogspot.com/2008/11/apple-kuzu.html
Welcome to the Clearspring January Newsletter and Happy New Year. 2008 finished on an unhappy note with economic recessions and currencies going haywire. This is a time for reflection on both the economy and our personal well-being. At Clearspring I regularly tell our staff:
Hello and welcome to the Clearspring December Newsletter. With Christmas, St. Nicholas’ Day, the winter solstice and New Year's Eve, December is a month for celebration. It is also a month to reflect on the comings and goings of the year. The credit crunch has hit home and left many people without work.
Zest Magazine -;
Mail on Sunday's Live Magazine
This simple and tasty recipe won the Clearspring recipe competition. It is ideal for a quick mid-week supper or a tasty lunch. The use of pickled ginger makes it light and refreshing.
Serves 2-3
Ingredients
250g Clearspring Soba
100g block of firm tofu, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tsp Clearspring Sushi Ginger, chopped
1 small pak choi, washed and sliced
5 Clearspring Shiitake Mushrooms, soaked and sliced
50g Clearspring Pickled Daikon, thinly sliced
100g bean sprouts, washed and drained
1 tbsp Clearspring Soya Sauce
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
3 spring onions, sliced
Method
1. Cook the soba noodles according to the directions on the packet. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan. Deep-fry the tofu until crisp and golden brown. Drain and set aside to cool. When cool, cut the tofu into thin strips.
3. Heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a wok. Lightly fry the garlic without browning. Add the chopped ginger and stir for 30 seconds.
4. Now add the pak choi, shiitake mushrooms and sliced pickled daikon to the wok. Turn the heat up and fry for one minute.
5. Add the bean sprouts and then the soba. Stir continuously until the soba and the bean sprouts are heated through.
6. Add the soya sauce and season with salt and pepper.
7. Garnish with crispy fried tofu and spring onion.
8. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Recipe by Victoria Ashley.
Health is our most precious asset. All around the world I see big investments being made on borrowed money; deals being made on ‘thin air’. We forget that what goes up must come down, including risky investments. The bigger something is, the harder it will fall and, after all, balloons are full of air and they eventually burst!
Both light and refreshing, these spring rolls are an elegant warm-weather pick-me-up.
10 spring rolls
Ingredients
3.5-ounce package bifun rice noodles
8 ounces Clearspring Tofu
1 tbsp Clearspring Toasted Sesame Oil
1 tbsp Clearspring Soya Sauce
10 rice paper wrappers
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 avocado cut into thin strips
1 cup bean sprouts
1 cup julienne-cut carrots
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pickled ginger
1/4 cup coarsely chopped dry-roasted peanuts
For sauce
3 tbsp Clearspring Soya Sauce
2 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp Clearspring Rice Malt Syrup
This appetizer is quick and easy to make. It is ready to serve in the time it takes to cook and cool the udon. Turn it into a main dish by adding sautéed tempeh or tofu.
Servings 6 to 8
Ingredients
8 ounce Clearspring Udon
6 scallions, cut into thin diagonal slices
1 small cucumber, cut into thin matchsticks
2 tablespoons lightlytoasted black and whitesesame seeds
For peanut sauce
2 tbsp fresh ginger juice
2 tbsp peanut butter
11/2 tbsp tahini
1/2 tbsp Clearspring Toasted Sesame Oil
6 drops hot sesame oil
3 tbsp Clearspring Soya Sauce
1 tbsp Clearspring Malt Syrup
As the weather gets colder everyone is more susceptible to the odd cough and cold. Here are some great, traditional Japanese tips to help you through the winter months!
• If you have a sore throat gargle with Clearspring Organic Sencha. Tea has great, soothing qualities and helps you to warm up a bit.
• If you have a chill make a drink with Clearspring Umeboshi, Clearspring Malt Syrup and hot water. Umeboshi contains vitamin C, while the malt syrup just makes the drink taste a little sweeter.
• Ginger and spring onions are highly nutritious and are said to enhance the body's natural resistance to colds and flu so add a little extra to your Clearspring Miso Soup or other dishes. Ginger can also be used in a hot drink see our recipe here.
• Rice porridge is to Japan what chicken soup is to the West - typical recovery food and easily digestible. Wash 100g of Clearspring Organic Sushi Rice as usual and then cook it with 330ml of water and ½tsp Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt until you have a thick wet porridge. Top with vegetables of your choice including spring onions and ginger or umeboshi!
Finally, take care and wrap up warm!
Cultivation of Shiitake on logs in a humid forest
Shiitake are dried and selected according to their grade
For thousands of years shiitake have played an important role in Asian cuisine, being known both for their deep umami taste and wide ranging culinary uses. Their value does not stop there though; known as ‘miracle mushrooms', shiitake are nutritious and filled with health giving properties.
Origins and cultivation
Shiitake, which originate from China, have been cultivated for over a 1000 years and eaten in Asia since prehistoric times. In Japan they still use traditional cultivation methods in which they are grown on certain logs in the humid forests of southern Japan, then hand-harvested and dried. This is a natural method which does not use pesticides.
In newer cultivation methods, shiitake are grown inside in controlled environments on chemically fertilised sawdust. Pesticides are used in the growing rooms, so the shiitake are by no means organic and some claim that they are inferior in taste and health benefits. At Clearspring the shiitake we use are cultivated in the traditional way. Find out more here.
Nutritional values
Shiitake are packed with essential vitamins and minerals many of which are not present in vegetables.
They are:
• A good source of B vitamins which beneficial to the immune system and brain functions, including vitamin B12 which is only present in fungi and bacteria.
• Rich in: dietary fibre, zinc, phosphorus and magnesium.
They also contain iron, vitamin C and calcium and all eight amino acids at a ratio which is close to the ideal balance of proteins necessary to the human diet. (1)
Medicinal uses
Dried shiitake mushrooms have been a part of traditional Chinese medicine for more than six thousand years being attributed with energising powers. In Asian folk medicine they have been used to treat measles, stomach aches, bronchitis, headaches, faintness and the common cold. In ancient Japan members of the court even regarded them as an aphrodisiac, closely guarding their cultivation sites.
More recently shiitake have been the focus of various scientific studies that have identified substances in them that may play a role in curing and preventing heart disease, cancer and AIDS (2).
These are:
• Eritadenine which significantly lowers the levels of bad cholesterol in blood and thus helps in the fight against heart disease.
• Lentinan which is said to boost the immune system, leading to the possible regression of cancerous tumours, and viruses (including HIV).
• Cortinelin which has natural antibiotic qualities that fight fungal infections.
(1) John and Jan Belleme, Culinary Treasures of Japan, New York, 1992
(2) Chang R., Functional properties of edible mushrooms, Nutr Rev 54 (11 Pt 2): 591-3 (1996)
For more information on Shiitake and health see:
Shiitake and cancer prevention
For the foodie that you love, why not treat them to Clearspring’s Sushi Set this Christmas
Clearspring's ;
From this month Clearspring Organic Shoyu and Clearspring Organic Tamari will be available in a new one litre size.
We hope this makes it even easier for you to top up your Clearspring Shoyu Dispensers and to feel a little greener!
For many years soya has been hailed as the ‘wonder stuff’ of the health food world. There has, however, also been controversy in the media over the potential for negative effects caused by its consumption. Let us fill you in on some of the facts.
The soya bean, part of the legume family, has been grown in the Far East for thousands of years, where its health benefits have become common knowledge. In Japan, certain soybean based dishes, such as miso soup, have long been considered as a cure-all. With the Eastern reputation for good health, long life expectancy and healthy diets, soya products have now been accepted into the Western diet as a healthy ingredients.
However, soya products are being consumed in the West in a rather different way to how they are in the East. While the Japanese tend to stick to fermented soya products such as miso, natto and soy sauce, or with refined products, such as tofu, they only eat it in moderation, accompanied by other ingredients (such as iodine-rich sea vegetables). Westerners, on the other hand, have adopted various soya and soya based products as a substitute for a multitude of meat and dairy ingredients, eating them in much larger quantities than the Japanese would and on a more regular basis, which can be unhealthy. Additionally, with products such as tofu it is important to use organic or traditionally made products which use natural ingredients and setting agents in order recipe positive health benefits from it.
In terms of nutritional value, soya has the highest protein content of any bean. It has the unique advantage over other legumes of containing all 8 essential amino acids and it has fatty acids including omega 3 and 6. On top of this it is very low in saturated fat and has potential cholesterol lowering properties.
Over the years studies have suggested that soy products can be beneficial to human health in numerous ways. One of these is in the reduction of cholesterol which in turn reduces the risk of heart disease, one of the biggest killers in the West. Research has indicated that the isoflavones in soya decrease LDL cholesterol (known as ‘bad’ cholesterol) but have no effect on HDL cholesterol (known as ‘good’ cholesterol) and significantly improve lipid profiles in blood [1,2,3].
These same isoflavones are also said to help in the prevention of osteoporosis (bone loss) [4], menopause symptoms (including hot flushes), and other studies are currently being done in to their potential preventative effect on certain cancers (including breast [5] and prostate cancer [6]). In summary, there is a wealth of evidence and scientific research to suggest that soya has health providing properties. Research has even led the UK government’s Joint Health Claims Initiative (JHCI) to encourage the consumption of at least 25g of soya protein per day.
However, in recent months there has been a strong emphasis on the potential dangers of eating soya products in the media, which are said to include adverse effects on thyroid functions and fertility. As well as all their positive attributes, isoflavones are said to be responsible for concerns over thyroid function too. Despite this, recent research suggests that it is probably not necessary for people with thyroid function problems to avoid soya. The key would be to ensure that there is also enough iodine in their diet as iodine promotes healthy thyroid functions (iodine-rich foods include sea vegetables, peanuts and raisins).
With the fertility concerns a lot of the information covers the use of soya based baby formula and the consumption of tofu. There is no perfect substitute for breast milk, which is the most natural food for infants. Also refined soya products may not be as healthy as unrefined or fermented ones.
Overall, soya’s safety has been reviewed by a number of major Western committees including the UK Committee on Toxicity and the US Food and Drug Administration who still believe it to be a safe food.
Ultimately, there is no such thing as a ‘wonder food’, but soya is a valuable food source which can be beneficial in our diets. Like most things it should be consumed in moderation and as part of a balanced diet. In Asia they tend to eat between 10 and 25g of soya protein per day and this is predominantly in the form of fermented soya products such a soy sauce, miso and natto or as whole fresh or dried beans which have greater nutritional value. They almost never drink soya milk and tofu is eaten in moderation, accompanied by iodine-rich foods.
Clearspring believe that this is a sensible approach to eating soya. It is also advisable to avoid heavily processed, refined or GM soya products as they may contain higher levels of toxins and possible carcinogens with lower levels of beneficial antioxidants and isolavones than unrefined products. Research into the health benefits and possible risks of soya products is still at an early stage, but the nutritional benefits of it cannot be denied.
References:
1.Taku K et al., 2008. Soy isoflavones lower serum total and LDL cholesterol in humans: a meta-analysis of 11 randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Apr;85(4):1148-56
2.Zhan S, Ho Sc. 2005. Meta-analysis of the effects of soy protein containing isoflavones on the lipid profiles. AM J Nutr. 2005 Feb; 81(2): 397-408.
3.McVeigh BL et al., 2006. Effects of soy protein varying on isolavone content on serum lipids in healthy young men. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Feb; 83(2):244-51.
4.Yamaguchi M, 2006. Yakugaku Zasshi. Regulatory mechanism of food factors in bone metabolism and prevention of osteoporosis. 2006 Nov; 126(11) :1117-37.
5.Wu AH ey al., 2008. Soy intake and breast cancer risk in Singapore. Chinese Health Study, 2008 Jul 8:99(1): 196-200
6.Kurashi N. et al., 2007. Soy product and isoflavone consumption in relation to prostate cancer in Japanese men. 2007 Mar; 16(3): 538-45 Epub 2007 Mar.
To find out more:
The vegetarian and vegan foundation research
The British dietetic association
By Celia Plender
From this month Clearspring Shoyu and Tamari will be available in a new one litre size.
Hello and welcome to the Clearspring September newsletter. The autumn is already off to a great start for us with a new award. With the new season you will also be able to discover some new products in our range. Read on for all the details. Also as September is my birthday month I am hoping that we can all enjoy some Indian summer weather.
Hello and welcome to the Clearspring August newsletter. I hope that you are enjoying a pleasant summer season and a little sun – when it chooses to come out! This month you will discover the story behind Clearspring Organic Sushi Rice and its Italian origin.
If you’re feeling the heat this summer, cool yourself down with frozen Clearspring Organic Fruit Purée desserts.They really are delicious and completely free of added sugar!
Serves 2
Serves 4
Ingredients
1L mineral water
2 Clearspring Sencha Teabags or 1tbsp Clearspring Loose Sencha
Method 1, hot brewing
Method 2, cold brewing
Be creative
You can enjoy chilled sencha green tea on its own, or try these tasty alternatives:
Giorgio inspecting a rice field
According to Alce Nero , the secrets to their success are a true ‘love of the land’ and avoiding chemicals in their food production process. With principals like these, they are an ideal company for Clearspring to work with. However, you may be asking yourself why Clearspring Organic Sushi Rice is not grown in Japan.
Over the years some of Japan’s top chefs have had to concede that it is possible to make sushi with non-Japanese rice (equally, Italian chefs have successfully made risotto with Japanese rice). The key to good sushi rice is finding a short grain variety which has similar characteristics to japonica - the most common sushi rice in Japan. Selenio – used to make Clearspring Organic Sushi Rice - is just such a variety and, in fact, it is a sub-species of Japonica.
Good sushi rice needs to be sticky, and this is dependent on the level of the starch components amylase - which should be low and amylopectin - which should be high. Selenio has this balance. However, is this enough to justify using a European rice variety rather than a Japanese variety? When you take into consideration the flavour and the production process itself we believe it is.
The Piedmont - where Clearspring Organic Sushi Rice is grown and produced - has the largest concentration of rice paddies in Europe and boasts some of the most delicious risotto rice varieties in the world. So, when it comes to rice, the Piedmontese really do know what they’re doing.
As well as this the actual cultivation methods in Italy are a little different to those in Japan. Antonio Tinarelli the agronomist who - with the help of his son Giorgio - grows Clearspring Organic Sushi Rice is known to be an expert in the field of rice cultivation. Unlike Japanese rice growers Antonio use the organic farming method of crop rotation to produce his rice. This helps to reduce the build-up of pathogens and pests in the soil while maintaining its fertility and natural balance. In turn, the need for artificial fertilisers and pesticides is removed which ensures the creation of an organic product that truly respects the land that it is grown on.
Once the rice has been harvested and dried, it is then passed into the capable hands of Paolo Martinotti whose family business was established in 1896. Paolo is a strong believer in the maintenance of a healthy balance between old and new techniques. He does use modern equipment and methods, but he has not rejected the care and attention that his forefathers put into the processing and polishing of rice.
With all the passion and expertise that is applied to it, Clearspring are proud to be offering a European-grown organic sushi rice. We are also pleased to announce that from November we will be offering Organic Brown Sushi Rice. For this we will be using the same selenio rice, grown by Antonio and hulled by Paolo but the grain will not be polished.
By Celia Plender
The ‘Food Doctor’ explains the nutritional value of Clearspring sea vegetables.
Rapeseed is produced by the rape (colza) plant - a member of the turnip family - which has bright yellow flowers. In spring you can see plenty of rape fields dotted about the British countryside.
A perfect blend
Following the success of our Omega oil this is the second blend to be introduces to the cold pressed oil range. It is a 50-50 blend of flax oil and Italian extra virgin olive oil, which means that it is rich in Omega 3 acid and has a high level of antioxidants.
Hello and welcome to our July newsletter. With the summer now in full swing many of you will be enjoying picnics and summer barbecues, so we've selected some great recipes to help you make the most of the sunshine.
Following the success of our Omega oil this is the second blend to be introduced to the cold pressed oil range. It is a 50-50 blend of flax oil and Italian extra virgin olive oil, which means that it is rich in Omega 3 acid and has a high level of antioxidants.
Rapeseed or also known as canola, is produced by the rape (colza) plant - a member of the turnip family - which has yellow flowers. In spring you can see plenty of those bright yellow coloured fields dotted about the British countryside.
Zest magazine recommend a summer salad using Clearspring ;
Jane Curran offers some tasty suggestions for Clearspring ;
Why is Clearspring ;
Hello.Spring and summer have both seemed to come at the same time this year. I hope this doesn’t mean we are going to have a two season climate. It’s good to see and smell the roses at this time of year.
The ‘Food Doctor’ suggests using Clearspring Ume Plum Seasoning to give your food a bit of zing.
Fresh magazine are getting excited about Clearspring ;
Quality sake rice being grown for Clearspring Tamaki Sake
Koji being made for Clearspring Tamaki Sake at Akita Seishu brewery
Many of you already enjoy shoyu at home and have used it in Japanese restaurants.
Try out these tasty yet simple amazake shakes in three delicious fruit varieties. All are delicious served hot or cold.
Banana Shake
Rice for use in the mirin production process
Chris with Sumiya-san, head of the family brewery that produces Clearspring's Mikawa Mirin
Temperature is crucial when producing koji
Mirin moromi in an enamel vat
Christopher with Sumiya-san in the company office
Mirin, a sweet sake mostly used for cooking, is known in Japan as the king of condiments in virtue of its fantastic power to draw out the flavours of ingredients, giving a wonderful richness and depth to all kinds of cooking.
The History of Mirin
The production of mirin began some 500 years ago in Japan, during the Muromachi period, when it was used exclusively like a drink much like a fortified wine. However, containing yeasts from sake, this mirin would quickly turn sour. It was when shochu, a traditional Japanese distilled alcoholic liqueur, was introduced from Okinawa and Southern Kyushu that mirin evolved into its present form.
Using shochu as a base ingredient, mirin could be produced without losing its flavour, and its popularity began to grow. During the Edo period (1603-1868), mirin began to be incorporated into all kinds of meals, and quickly became an indispensable part of traditional Japanese cuisine and Kyoto’s intricate banquet food, kaiseki ryori.
Within mirin production, the area in central Japan known at the time as Mikawa emerged as the well-known area of production for mirin of superlative quality. Mikawa means three rivers, as it marks a spot where three major estuaries flow into Nagoya bay, and the good water in this area as well as its temperate climate are key in the making of top-quality mirin. The area’s proximity to the sea ensured that it had priority access to all the crucial raw materials, as well as the country’s major markets.
The Production of Mirin
Clearspring’s Mikawa Mirin suppliers, the Sumiya family in Hekinan City of Aichi Prefecture (the new name for Mikawa), have owned their own mirin company since 1910, and are the only company ever in Japan to have been awarded the diamond award by the Japanese Alcoholic Seasoning Association. Simple and orderly, the Sumiya family’s traditional brewery is steeped in the delicious aroma of maturing mirin.
Quite different to the frantic sake making procedure, pure mirin takes up to one year to make. The Sumiya family is dedicated to the leisurely and gentle procedure of traditional mirin from pure ingredients, which they have been perfecting for almost one hundred years.
As with many other traditional Japanese foods, the secret of excellent mirin lies in the quality of the koji culture, which is the basis of its brewing process. It is this koji which brings out the taste of the glutinous sweet rice used for mirin. The Sumiya family also produce their own koji.
To do this, the rice is washed and soaked, then steamed and cooled to the required temperatures. Next it is inoculated with koji spores and incubated on wooden trays for 48 hours. The incubating room is initially heated, but the koji then begins to generate its own heat, of temperatures of up to 35 degrees centigrade, and the room must be carefully monitored to ensure it doesn’t rise too high.
This koji is then mixed together with sweet glutinous rice and two kinds of shochu, also produced on the premises using sake lees. This mixture, known as ‘mirin moromi’, is then pumped into large enamel vats. Since moromi is always made in the middle of winter, the vats are wrapped in rice straw mats to keep them warm, and thus encourage good, even fermentation.
After being kept for three months, with periodic stirring to aid the function of the koji, the moromi is removed and put into cotton sacks for pressing. The mirin that emerges is left to mature for a further 150-200 days, during which time further sedimentation takes place.
Finally, when the mirin is ready, it is siphoned off from the top of the tank, filtered through cotton and bottled. The result is a heavenly sweet, amber-coloured seasoning that adds a delicate gourmet touch to even the simplest meals – no wonder that it has been awarded so many awards by the Japanese Alcoholic Seasoning Association. Although it makes an outstanding seasoning, authentic mirin can also be enjoyed as a drink. Its flavour is immediately pleasant and refreshing, and leaves no aftertaste.
Hello. It is such a joy to see the blossoms of spring and the trees showing new life. Nature is so abundant and forgiving, especially when we show respect. Now is the time to enjoy the fresh greens of spring, and this month we give you three recipes ideal for eating al fresco, and some great tips for picnicking in style.
To add to Clearspring’s range of healthy seasonings from around the world comes the introduction of our Demeter certified ;
There is nothing quite like a dish made of vegetables that are at their very best. Rediscover a seasonal vegetable each month with Clearspring's seasonal veg series.
On this page:
> March: Radish
> February: Beetroot
> January: Carrot
> September: Leek
> August: Sweetcorn
> July: Courgette
> June: Asparagus
> May: Cauliflower
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Facts:
When you think of garlic, you may not have a specific season in mind, but just like anything else, garlic has its time. As spring gets underway, wild garlic leaves start to appear in woodlands all over the UK, and new season garlic also starts to crop up. Unlike the garlic you usually find in the shops, which is stored and aged, new season garlic is fresh. Rather than the familiar dry papery skin, it has thick leaf-like skin and is sweeter and less pungent. Whichever form of garlic you choose to cook with, it is a truly remarkable ingredient with many potential health benefits. As well as being high in vitamin B6 and C, garlic has a long history of use as a medicinal remedy. For example, it has been suggested that garlic consumption could help to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol as well as fighting viruses such as cold and flu.
Recipes:
Wild garlic is a little milder than the domestic kind and it is the leaves and flowers that people eat. It can be shredded and added to salads and rice dishes or cooked in soups and stir fries. As for regular garlic, it can be added to just about any savoury dish from stir-fries to sauces, pasta dishes and soups. For a true flavour celebration, roast a whole bulb of garlic. When the cloves become soft, simply squeeze them out on to crusty bread. They make a great snack or starter served with Clearspring Organic Aged Balsamic Vinegar and Clearspring Organic Tunisian or Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil. For a quick and flavoursome supper dish, try spaghetti with aglio e olio or express soup sprinkled with crispy garlic bits. For delicious garlicky dips add a clove to hummus, beetroot and walnut or creamy dill dip.
Facts:
Pink, red, purple, green, white - radishes come in many different colours and indeed shapes and sizes. The season for radishes is also varied. 'European' or 'spring' radishes, which are generally round, colourful varieties with a good dose of horseradish-like heat, appear around now and continue through to summer. The larger, paler and milder varieties, however, such as Asian daikon radishes are at their best in the winter months. Historically, radishes are known to have been eaten as far back as ancient Egyptian and Greek times; the name itself comes from the Latin word for root - radix. In one town in Mexico, Oaxaca, they love radishes so much that they have a radish festival just before Christmas, in which the long, red local radishes are carved into sculptures of anything from biblical scenes to conquistadors. In terms of nutrition, radishes are very low in calories and high in vitamin C - especially the leaves, so don't bin them, use them. They are also a good source of potassium and spring radishes contain a good quantity of folic acid, too.
Recipes:
Radishes are most nutritious eaten raw, but they can also be cooked. Add thick slices of daikon to nishime for a simple, warming soup. The radish takes on a beautiful, silky texture when cooked slowly. It can also be added to many other soups and stews. Another popular use for daikon in Japan is as an accompaniment to fried foods such as tempura, as it is believed to aid digestion and balance the oiliness of the dish.Simply grate it finely and squeeze out the excess moisture, and serve alongside a dipping sauce. Dried daikon is another interesting ingredient - it's great in stir-fries and stews. The drying process intensifies the flavour and you can use the soaking water as a stock. Any type of radish is great for pickling, try cutting spring radishes in half and salting them briefly. Rinse and then add Clearspring Organic Brown Rice Vinegar. Spring radishes are also the perfect addition to any salad; try quinoa salad or watercress and arame salad.
Facts:
For many, their first experience of the beetroot is as a slightly mushy, possibly crinkle cut, pre-cooked vegetable found swimming in harsh malt vinegar. This is neither a seasonal treasure nor a culinary delight. However, if you treat the beetroot with a little love and respect it can be something truly marvellous. The Neoliths and the Ancient Egyptians knew it, so perhaps it's time that we did too. Beetroot and beet leaves also have long been considered to have medicinal properties. They are principally known for their positive effect on the liver, as they can help to stimulate the detoxification process that is the liver's most important function. Beetroots are also rich in betacyanin, the powerfully purple pigment that gives this vegetable its distinctive colour and which is though to have anti-cancer properties. Various studies have highlighted other potential medical benefits, such as that of beet fibre in boosting antioxidant enzyme levels, and beet juice as an inhibitor of nitrosamines, a cancer-causing compound. The root also contains vitamin C, fibre, potassium, magnesium, manganese, and folic acide while the leafy tops have iron and calcium.
Recipes:
Our purple friend is great raw or cooked. When boiling whole, it is important to keep the skin on. If you remove it, the colour and nutrition will seep out into the boiling water leaving you with something rather unappetising looking. After boiling the skins slip off very easily and the beetroots are ready to eat as a side vegetable or part of a salad. In Scandinavia, they love to mix apple and beetroot together for a tasty sweet and sour salad. Mix raw, grated beetroot, cabbage and green apple with Clearspring Brown Rice Vinegar, Clearspring Safflower or Avocado Oil and a few poppy seeds. Make sure you serve the salad soon after preparation, otherwise the apple and cabbage will turn bright pink. Another classic beetroot dish is Borscht, which can be found all over Eastern Europe. Simply cook peeled, chopped beetroot and potato in Clearspring Miso Bouillon with sliced onion and a little cabbage. Once it is ready, blend to a smooth soup, serve with a good squeeze of lemon juice, some chopped chives and a twist of black pepper. Beetroot is also great with nuts, try Beetroot and Walnut Dip.
Facts:
"If you eat plenty of carrots you'll be able to see in the dark" is a phrase commonly used round the British dinner table in the nightly struggle to get kids to eat their veg. But is there any truth in it? Actually, yes ... well sort of. It is certainly true that carrots are good for your eyes as they are full of beta-carotene. This is converted by the body to vitamin A, which is known to reduce the risk of eye disease. Equally, a deficiency in vitamin A can lead to difficulties seeing in dim light, so carrots can help maintain your ability to see when its darker. It doesn't sound quite as exciting, but it has to be a good thing. Carrots also contain vitamin B and C as well as being low in sodium, fat-free and a good source of fibre. A lot of the nutrition is just below the skin, so try to eat them with the skin on.
Recipes:
Carrots are great raw or cooked. For an extra vitamin C kick, serve them with oranges in either a salad - Tunisian Carrot Salad - or a soup. The combination gives a delicious sweet and sour flavour. Carrots can be the star of the show or a complement to the other ingredients in dishes such as Miso Soup or Burdock Kinpira. They also make fantastic desserts, juices and, of course, carrot cake is an absolute classic. Try Orange Amazake Dessert, or substitute the apple in our Dutch Apple Cake recipe for grated carrot. Add a little orange zest and a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg too if you fancy.
Facts:
Leeks are a member of the alliaceae family which also includes onions and garlic. Since as early as the second millennium BC they have been a part of the human diet. Archaeologists have even found dried specimens on Ancient Egyptian excavation sites. They were brought to Europe by the Romans and were a favourite soup ingredient of Emperor Nero. Still in modern cuisine they are a popular ingredient across the world which is commonly used in soups such as vichyssoise, most classical French stocks, various garnishes and stews. The white part of the leek is more highly prized than the green as it is mellower in flavour. Nutritionally speaking the leek is low in cholesterol, saturated fat and sodium and high in vitamin A, C, folate, iron, dietary fibre and vitamin B6.
Recipes:
Julienne leeks and carrots, mix them with tempura batter, deep-fry and serve with tempura dipping sauce for a delicious snack. Alternatively, add some leeks to our hearty baked vegetables recipe for a delicious autumn dish. Try using baby leeks as an alternative to spring onions in stir-fries and miso soup or turn them into a chunky soups with other autumn vegetables and drizzle with Clearspring Pumpkin Seed Oil and Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt for a rich finish.
August: Sweetcorn
Facts:
As with so many of our fruits and vegetables, corn - a grain which comes from the maize family – originated in the Americas. It has been cultivated for more than 2000 years and formed an important part of the Aztec, Inca and Mayan diet. Although it is still an important factor in Latin American cuisine, it is also enjoyed all over the world in all sorts of different ways. The different varieties can be made into flour, sweeteners, pop corn, corn flakes and (of course) eaten fresh.
In terms of nutrition corn is low in fat, high in dietary fibre, folate and antioxidants. According to American scientists , also reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. As part of a macrobiotic diet, it is also said to increase our capacity for happiness.
Recipes:
Enjoy eating corn on the cob with Clearspring Umeboshi Puree. It makes a great alternative to butter and its low in fat. Alternatively, give your stir-fry a bit of colour and crunch with some baby corn or, if you’re feeling a little more indulgent, sweetcorn fritters make a fantastic snack. Simply follow our Sweet Potato Fritter recipe but substitute the potato for corn kernels and sprinkle with Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt.
July: Courgette
Facts:
The origin of the courgette or zucchini - as it is known in America and Australia – is not entirely clear. Although it is a member of the squash family - which originates in the Americas, it has been suggested that the courgette actually developed in Europe in the late 19th century as a natural mutation of the squash. It was embraced by the Italians, who even eat the flowers, and the French, who came up with such classic dishes as ratatouille, but didn’t gain popularity in the UK until the late 1950s when the food writer Elizabeth David championed it. As well as being a tasty and versatile cooking ingredient, the courgette is low in calories, high in vitamin A and C and contains folate (folic acid), plenty of water and potassium – which is good for your kidneys. It’s great with pasta so why not try adding it to our creamy dairy-free sauce to make Pasta Primavera.
Recipes:
For a fresh and tasty salad, Clearspring recommend courgette ribbons with lemon dressing: Cut the courgette into long thin strips and arrange on a plate, squeeze lemon juice over the top and drizzle with Clearspring Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Add a twist of pepper and a sprinkling of Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt. Courgettes and their flowers are also a perfect tempura ingredient - click here for our recipe.
June: Asparagus
Facts:
Asparagus has been used both in cooking and for medicinal purposes for an extremely long time, and a recipe for cooking it actually appears in the oldest surviving cookery book known to man, Apicius’s third century AD ‘De Re Coquinaria’, Book III. Asparagus is a healthy vegetable which contains no fat or cholesterol and very few calories, but is a great supply of folic acid, dietary fibre, potassium and rutin, and has the legendary effect of improving the aroma of one’s urine, as noted by Marcel Proust. It even has an amino acid named after it, asparagine, which is found in rich quantities in the vegetable. Asparagus grows in maritime habitats and other saline environments, and the top three exporters worldwide are Peru, China and Mexico.
Recipes:
Fresh asparagus is delicious boiled or steamed and then served with a whole variety of dips and dressings. It is perfect combined with Creamy Dill and Miso Dip. On a summer’s day, chilled asparagus soup is deliciously refreshing, and it also tastes great stir-fried and tossed into a cold salad of tomatoes and baby spinach leaves. For an unusual twist, try garnishing with pomegranate seeds or honey.
The cauliflower is not generally thought of as a quintessential spring vegetable, but it is in fact at its best in May. A type of brassica, along with leafy greens such as cabbage, kale and broccoli, its name actually originates from ‘cole flower’, with ‘cole’ and ‘kale’ being variations of the same word. Low in fat and calories, but high in fibre, folic acid and vitamin C, it is a nutritionally ideal vegetable. The cauliflower and the warming classic 'cauliflower cheese' are traditional British products, but sadly, British cauliflower farmers are currently struggling to make a living due to an unwillingness on the parts of supermarkets to give them a proper price, which has led to the birth of the Save the Cauliflower campaign.
Recipes:
Clearspring's top recommendation is cauliflower with white miso vinaigrette. Cook and then allow to cool before pouring on Mellow Miso Dressing for a healthy, dairy-free and delicious salad. Alteratively, try adding into salads or other vegetable dishes, either raw or after frying in sesame oil with sesame, pumpkin or other seeds. Alternatively, mix into curries with coconut milk and cashew nuts, or try cooking with saffron to give it a really sunny feel.
Despite the surge in Japanese food sales in the UK, Robin Barlow explains that we still have a thing or two to learn.
One of the dories used by the 'dulsers' resting on the shore
Collecting dulse on the beach
Freshly harvested dulse
Fresh Wasabi
Below is a list of our Kosher certified products. For products marked
with a ± symbol , the kosher logo may not be found on
the labels as we are currently in the process of updating them, but certification is in place.
Also, you can check the kosher status of Clearspring products using the London Beth Din Kosher Product Search. There is a key at the top of the page to the kosher status categories.
***Japanese Sea Vegetables
***Japanese Seasonings
Organic Shoyu Soya Sauce±
Organic Tamari Soya Sauce±
Organic Brown Rice Vinegar±
Organic Toasted Sesame Oil±
Organic Mikawa Mirin±
Ume Plum Seasoning±
***Japanese Miso
Organic Brown Rice Miso
Organic Barley Miso
Organic Hatcho Miso
Organic Sweet White Miso
Miso Relish
***Organic Noodles
***Japanese Green Teas
Hasucha Lotus Tea
Organic Genmaicha (only loose tea pouches and 2g tea bag boxes) Organic Hojicha (only loose tea pouches and 2g tea bag boxes)
Organic Kukicha (only loose tea pouches and 2g tea bag boxes)
Organic Sencha (only loose tea pouches and 2g tea bag boxes)
***Japanese Speciality Foods
Dried Lotus Root Slices
Brown Rice Mochi
Mugwort Mochi
Organic Kuzu
Organic Umeboshi Plums±
Shiso Condiment
Sushi Ginger
Umeboshi Purée
Wasabi
***Cold Pressed Oils
Organic Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Organic Hazelnut Oil
Organic Omega Oil
Organic Safflower Oil
Organic Sesame Oil
Organic Soya Oil
Organic Sunflower Frying Oil
Organic Sunflower Oil
Organic Toasted Pumpkin Seed Oil
Organic Toasted Sesame Oil
Organic Walnut Oil
Organic Avocado Oil
Organic Olive Flax Oil
Organic Rapeseed Oil
Organic Tunisian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
***Malt Syrups
Many of you already enjoy shoyu at home and have used it in Japanese restaurants.
Clearspring's ;
This month, Clearspring proudly launches their third variety of ;
There's one thing more fun than making these pancakes with your friends or family, and that's eating them. Vary the fillings for added enjoyment.
Makes 12 Pancakes
Seaweed from which the agar is made
Agar jelly in a plastic tray
A bar of fresh agar jelly
Agar bars ready to be frozen
Snow-covered bars of agar
Chris tasting Ito Kanten noodles made from fresh agar, a great delicacy
Mayumi Nishimura spent twenty years working in the field of macrobiotics at the Kushi Institute in Massachusetts. Diminutive in appearance yet overflowing with vitality and charm, Mayumi certainly seems to practice what she preaches. She initially became interested in macrobiotics a couple of decades ago while living in Japan, and is currently personal chef to Madonna. Here is a glimpse of her art.
On this page:
> What is Macrobiotics?
> A healthy breakfast
> Summer Cooking Secrets
> A Simple Summer Dessert
> A Healthy Christmas
***What is Macrobiotics?
The word ‘macrobiotics’ literally means ‘big life’ but I take it to mean ‘great life’, a life that makes me free to do whatever I like to do. The key concept underlying macrobiotics is that of ‘shindofuji’, which literally means ‘one body, one earth’, in other words that we are continually influenced by our environment which includes the foods we eat and the climate and part of the world in which we live.
We should therefore try to eat food that has been grown in our local area as not doing so can lead to an imbalance that can result in sickness. Our diet should also adapt to seasonal changes, and everything should be cooked here (i.e. the UK) except in summer as this creates heat in the body. Food is medicine and if we are conscious about choosing our food all our worries about becoming ill disappear.
Although there is an extensive list of foods to avoid, eat occasionally and use often, basic macrobiotic principles include eating a largely organic diet with whole, unrefined foods, grains, beans and fresh vegetables, eating small amounts at regular intervals, chewing more and adopting a positive approach towards life. Dairy products and animal protein should be avoided as much as possible.
***A healthy breakfast
The stress and strain of modern life can lead to us feeling sluggish in the morning. This month, Mayumi introduces some macrobiotic ways to start the day that could boost your energy levels!
As morning energy is water (kidney/bladder) and wood (liver/gallbladder), energy is rising from the earth so it is important that we eat soft, light food to help our bodies synchronize with nature.
Breakfast should consist of steamed greens and soft cooked whole grains of your own choice. Miso soup is also a delicious option as it fires up the kidneys which respond well to the salty taste and, having a slighty sour flavour, it also stimulates wood energy and is a wonderful soup to have in the morning.
(N.B. People with hypoglycemia should have miso soup for lunch or dinner instead of breakfast as it may cause them to feel hungry all day.)
My ideal breakfast would be soft rice with miso soup: Pressure cook 1 cup of brown rice, 4 cups of water and a pinch of salt for 45 minutes. Wakame, daikon, onion and some cubed tofu can be added to the soup to increase the flavour and don’t forget to garnish with chopped spring onion.
***The Changing of the Seasons
The long dark days of winter are a distant memory, and we are now well into spring. This month, Mayumi explains how we should adjust our diet in keeping with the change of season.
During the winter, we tend to eat more animal protein and oily food. As it is important that we keep our bodies warm, we cook our food for longer, using methods such as stewing and roasting. However, with the approach of spring, we no longer need to store fat for insulation purposes so we should change our diet accordingly by using less oil and salt, consuming fewer animal products and shortening cooking time.
An alternative way of preparing food is to sautee vegetables in water. Excess fat can be reduced by drinking a 'carrot and daikon' drink, which is made up of equal portions of grated carrot and daikon, 1/4 tsp pureed umeboshi plums and 1/3 sheet of toasted nori. Water is added and the mixture is simmered for a few minutes on a medium heat.
Spring is an ideal time to practice liver cleansing, as the liver and gall bladder are associated with this season along with the wood element, which is typically concerned with growth and the harmonious flow of life. Using a splash of lemon or vinegar in your dishes can help these organs to function, with the sour taste enabling the energy in your system to become lighter and move upwards. It is also beneficial to eat fewer baked goods such as cakes, muffins and cookies, choosing instead steamed, oriental style sweets.
***Summer Cooking Secrets
Macrobiotic lifestyle expert Mayumi explains that summer is fire energy time and reveals which foods are most appropriate for summer.
She believes that each of our main organs is connected with one of the five elements of Chinese philosophy - wood, fire, earth, metal and water; and is represented by a season (spring, summer, late summer, autumn and winter) and a given taste. Sourness, for example, is associated with wood - thus by eating a moderate amount of sour food, the liver (the organ connected with wood) will be nourished.
She says: “Summer is fire energy time, the main organ is the heart (and small intestines), and the taste is bitter. As spring gives way to summer, we need to start eating bitter tasting foods such as burdock and dandelion which can nourish this transforming energy. However, moderation is the key and milder tasting foods such as grains and pulses should always form the main part of the diet. It is important to choose cooling foods in summer to make us feel cool, however, if you are not careful they can cause a weakening of the small intestines.
One good way of combining fresh vegetables in a delicious and interesting way is in a ‘pressed salad’:
Ingredients:
2 tbsps of red onion (finely chopped)
2 tbsps of umeboshi vinegar
1 cup shredded green cabbage
1/3 cup grated carrot
mix these ingredients in a flat-bottomed bowl. Add parsley and salt, cover with a plate and add some weight to it. Leave for 15 to 20 minutes and eat with your favourite healthy dressing. Enjoy!
***A Simple Summer Dessert
With the recent arrival of some warmer weather (at last), Mayumi recommends a simple summer dessert. In the summer I use a variety of different fruit to make a delicious, macrobiotic dessert called kanten. Kanten is also the Japanese word for agar-agar, a purple-brown sea vegetable extracted from seaweed. Its rich in iodine and a key ingredient of the dish. It has no calories or flavour and the processing method is remarkably simple. Having a cooling effect on the body, kanten is better eaten in summer than winter. As it induces a feeling of relaxation, it is of benefit to people who are feeling physically tense due to excess yang, which is in turn a result of too much salt or animal protein in the diet.
Apple Juice Kanten
(Serves 4-6)
Ingredients:
3 cups apple juice
1 tbsp agar flakes
pinch of salt
Method:
1.Put juice & agar flakes in a small saucepan & leave to soak for 15-30 mins
2.Bring to boil on medium flame, add salt & simmer until agar has all dissolved
3.Pour into moulds or small serving cups & leave to cool in the fridge
4.Serve with mint leaves
***Macrobiotic Desserts
This month, Mayumi talks about the role of sweet treats in the macrobiotic lifestyle, and shares a delicious dessert recipe with us. Although I still get the occasional craving, I now use rice syrup, barley malt, maple syrup, tofu, soy milk and vegetable or nut oil in my recipes as alternatives to sugar, eggs, milk, cheese and butter. I prefer non-baked goods as they are more gentle on the digestive system. However, if you have a very sweet tooth, be careful as a high intake of sugar can result in tiredness so try to limit your intake to 2-3 times per week. I'd like to introduce you to a basic macrobiotic dessert – it's easy to make, a lot healthier than conventional sweets and can be eaten hot or cold... enjoy!
Lemon custard
(Serves 4 – 6)
1/2 cup apple juice
1 tbsp agar flakes
1/2 cup maple/rice syrup
pinch of sea salt
2 tbsp lemon rind
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp arrowroot/kuzu root powder
1/3 cup soy milk
lemon slices for garnish
Bring the apple juice and agar flakes to the boil and simmer for 8-10 mins until the agar has dissolved. Stir. Add the syrup, salt and lemon rind to the pot and stir once more. Dilute the kuzu powder in cold soy milk, then add to the simmering pot of agar mixture and stir constantly until the liquid is translucent and bubbling. Turn off the heat, add lemon juice and mix well.
***Need a vitality soup?
So far this summer, in the UK at least, has left a lot to be desired. If it has left you feeling jaded, then Mayumi has just the thing to perk you up.
In general, root vegetables such as onions or carrots are good for the digestive system. Daikon (Japanese radish) is also of benefit and is particularly good for breaking down fat. It is an ideal complement to any fish dish.
Green leafy vegetables keep red blood cells healthy and are also
high in fibre. Eating high fibre food is one of the keys to having a good digestive system and it also balances out the yang energy of animal protein.
Celery and scallions are good sources of fibre and yin (upward) energy which complements the yang (downward) energy of root vegetables and fish. There are two different kinds of protein in this dish, fish and beans. I use yellow soy beans which are more yin than other beans. You don't have to use fish and beans but they give the soup its "vitality." If you don't eat fish you can make the soup with just beans and vegetables, adding burdock root (the most yang vegetable) to make the soup more 'vital'. It goes well with noodles or any wholegrain and if you use miso for the seasoning, it'll be more hearty'.
Vitality Soup
(serves 2-4)
1/2 cup cooked yellow soy beans
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/4 cup diced daikon
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 cup seasonal green vegetables
of your choice (e.g. water cress,
nappa (Chinese cabbage), kale or bok choy)
1 tbsp sesame oil
500g salmon or fish of your choice,
sliced into 1/2 inch cubes
some spring water
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp grated ginger for garnish
2 tbsp chopped scallions
1. Place sesame oil in a pan and heat on a medium flame. Sautée onions, carrots and daikon. Add celery and heat for about 8 min.
2. Add enough water to cover vegetables and place soy beans and fish on top. Add just enough water to cover the fish.
3. Bring to the boil on a high flame, then reduce the heat and cook for 15 min. Add chopped greens and soy sauce then cook for a further 5 min until greens are soft but not over cooked. They should be bright green in colour.
4. Serve in a bowl and top with scallions and grated ginger.
***A Healthy Christmas
With the mood of celebration in the air, and the pressure to over-indulge, it can seem impossible to maintain a healthy diet over the Christmas season. Here Mayumi, macrobiotic guru, tells us how. During the holiday season I tend to cook more elaborate dishes. Vegetables such as potatoes which should usually be avoided on the macrobiotic diet as they’re too acidic, can be eaten but should be blanched then baked with olive oil, garlic and dulse to create a more balanced dish which is both moist and warming.
On special occasions such as Thanksgiving or Christmas Day, we eat a special type of pumpkin called ‘Blue Hubbard Squash’ which, with its long neck actually looks like a bird! This is stuffed with couscous, bulgar or millet, onion, corn, carrots and peas. As a healthy alternative to the very fattening Christmas Pudding, we eat pumpkin pie which is made without butter or eggs. You mix pumpkin purée, tofu, tahini and maple syrup with a little nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon and cook it in a pie shell made of almond oil, unbleached white flour, fine whole meal flour, maple syrup and soya milk.
Although it can be difficult adhering to macrobiotic principles when eating out, two basic rules to remember are to avoid dairy products and choose fish in preference to meat. If you do find you have over-indulged, especially if you have eaten any dairy products, oily food or animal protein, a handy counteractive cure is grated daikon (Japanese radish) with a few drops of lemon juice, shoyu or umeboshi vinegar as this helps to digest the oil.
However, if you generally eat very well, the odd slip up won’t have too much of an effect! Another failsafe remedy is the Japanese favourite, miso soup which you should eat the following morning. If you like to drink, grain based alcohol is best (e.g scotch whisky) with cocktails possibly being the worst choice.
This month, Clearspring is launching two new ;
A flavoursome vegan pesto is spotlighted in this delicious pasta dish. Enjoy it along with a crisp, fresh salad and some wholegrain bread.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
For the pasta
2 tbsp Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive Oil
280g Organic Semi Whole Wheat Penne
Freshly ground black pepper
Basil leaves for garnish
Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt to taste
For the pesto
1 cup tightly packed basil leaves or for a "nori pesto," replace the basil with 3 tbsp Clearspring Nori Sprinkle.
1 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive Oil
5 cloves garlic
1&1/2 tbsp Clearspring Umeboshi Puree, or 2 tbsp Clearspring Sweet White Miso
Method
1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the salt and one tbsp of olive oil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions.
2. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the pesto. Place all of the pesto ingredients in a blender or food processor, and blend to a coarse paste. If too thick, add a little of the pasta cooking water as needed.
3. Reserving a ladle of the cooking water, drain the pasta. Return it to the pot, drizzle with the remaining tbsp of olive oil, and add the pesto. Toss well, adding a little of the reserved cooking water if too dry. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl and garnish with basil leaves. Serve hot.
Variations
- Top with chopped fresh tomatoes; marinated artichoke hearts; sauteed mushrooms; slivers of marinated sun-dried tomatoes; or steamed Swiss chard, spinach, broccoli, or broccoli rabe.
- Add some baked or pan-fried seasoned tofu or tempeh.
- Use the pesto to dress other foods, such as broccoli, green beans, green salads, and tomato salads.
Recipe taken from Greens and Grains on the Deep Blue Sea Cookbook, courtesy of Sandy Pukel and Mark Hanna
Fresh dill accents the rich taste and buttery texture of slow cooked lima beans in this hearty soup.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
2 cups dried lima beans, presoaked, rinsed, and drained
15 cm piece Clearspring Kombu, wiped clean
1 bay leaf
7 cups water
2 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch slices
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
1 medium stalk celery, cut into 1cm slices
1/2 tsp vegetable salt, or to taste
1/2 cup corn kernels
3 tbsp Clearspring Sweet White Miso 1/4 cup fresh chopped dill
Method
1. Bring the beans, kombu, bay leaf, and water to boil in a large pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 45 minutes, or until the beans are soft. Remove the kombu, cut into 0.5cm squares, and return to the soup.
2. Add the carrots, onions, celery and vegetable salt, and simmer another 20 minutes. Add the corn and simmer 2 or 3 minutes more.
3. Place the miso in a small bowl, add a ladle of the soup, and stir to dilute. Stir the diluted miso and dill into the pot.
4. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Variations
- Substitute 2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves for the dill.
- Adapt this recipe to include other bean and herb varieties. Let your taste, imagination, and the availability of ingredients be your guide.
*Note from Clearspring: during the cooking session, we replaced the Lima Beans by Flageolet Beans, as we could not find any in shops, and it worked really well!
Recipe taken from Greens and Grains on the Deep Blue Sea Cookbook, courtesy of Sandy Pukel and Mark Hanna.
This nourishing dessert is perfect for winter nights when the cold draws in. It has a beautiful variety of textures.
Serves 6
Ingredients
For the base
1/2 cup apple juice
1 tbsp arrowroot powder
5 cups peeled, sliced apples
1/2 tsp cinnamon
For the topping
1/2 cup whole rolled oats
2 tbsp whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup coarsely chopped mixed nuts*
1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries, optional
1/4 tsp Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
3 tbsp corn oil
2 tbsp Clearspring Rice Malt Syrup
*Walnuts, pecans, almonds, and cashews are recommended.
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Oil an 20cm-square baking pan and set aside.
2. Place the apple juice in a mixing bowl, add the arrowroot, and stir to dissolve. Add the apples and cinnamon, and toss gently. Transfer to the prepared pan and set aside.
3. To make the topping, combine the oats, flour; nuts, cranberries (if using), and salt in a mixing bowl. Rub the oil into the mixture with your fingers, then drizzle in the rice syrup while mixing with a fork. Distribute evenly over the apple mixture.
4. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the topping is golden and the apples are bubbling. Serve hot or warm.
Recipe taken from Greens and Grains on the Deep Blue Sea Cookbook, courtesy of Sandy Pukel and Mark Hanna
The cabbage in this light, bright-colored, fibre-rich salad is pressed in the traditional Japanese manner. It is a perfect accompaniment to any meal.
Everybody has those points in the day when their energy dips, and unhealthy choices suddenly become tempting. Well, Clearspring have some snacking options which are not just healthy or organic, but delicious and packed with sustainable energy.
Japanese Rice Crackers
Ideal by themselves, or topped with fruit chutneys or Clearspring miso relish.
Snack Organic
What could be healthier than these delicious selections of dried nuts, fruits and seeds? What’s more, they really do fill you up. Snack Organic comes in four tasty varieties.
Puffed Rice Cakes and No. 19 Chuno Dipping Sauce
The Clearspring staff favourite! Light and satisfying.
Japanese Rice Cakes
These crunchy crackers, which come in four varieties, taste great dipped in our Miso dipping sauce.
Miso Relish
Why not try this chunky tangy relish with a selection of delicious and healthy chopped vegetables, such as carrot, celery and cucumber.
Snack bars
The name says it all; these are the very best in snacking fare. Tasty, healthy, and ideal for those who like their snacks to be impossibly easy.
An exploration of Clearspring’s products, eco credentials and success.
New! Our ;
Chris's speech at the conference 
Chris and Mr Matsumoto in Kumamoto
Matsumoto-san also grows the Japanese “taro potato”, known as sato imo
Clearspring’s Dried ;
An extremely healthy and versatile food, and one of the quintessential vegetables in the Japanese diet. Clearspring Dried and Pickled ;
Honouring the methods practiced by the Romans over 2000 years ago, Clearspring’s Traditional Sea Salt is hand
This is a very simple and pretty dessert. Although plums are not as commonly used in frozen desserts as peaches, berries, and citrus fruits, they make an especially lush and creamy sorbet.
Makes about half a litre
Ingredients
6 soft, ripe plums, halved and pitted
80ml water
11/2 teaspoons Clearspring Agar Flakes
about 200g Clearspring Rice Malt Syrup, to taste
juice of half a small lemon
Method
1. Put the plums and water into a small saucepan, and bring to a simmer. Put the lid on, and cook gently over medium-low heat, stirring now and then with a wooden spoon until they’re tender. This will be about 10-15 minutes. Take the pan off the heat. With a slotted spoon, fish out the plums, and put them into a blender or food processor.
2. Sprinkle the agar-agar flakes over the remaining cooking liquid and gently simmer for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the liquid to the blender and purée until smooth. While the plums are still hot, mix in the syrup and lemon juice, and stir well. Pour the mixture into a plastic tub, and freeze for at least 6 hours, until solid.
*This plum sorbet is smooth enough to scoop out and eat as it is at this stage of the recipe. For a smoother texture, blend the sorbet again the day before you serve it. Scrape the frozen mixture up with a fork until it looks like finely crushed ice. Spoon half of it into a blender and blend until it’s light and smooth. Make sure you do it quickly so the sorbet doesn’t thaw. Blend the other half in the same way. Place the blended sorbet back into the plastic tub, cover, and freeze until it’s firm again. This will take about 1-3 hours this time.
*You could also try freezing the sorbet in an ice cube tray instead of the plastic tub to make instant kid-sized servings.
Carrots never tasted so good...
Serves 3
Ingredients
2 tsp Clearspring Toasted Sesame Oil
3 carrots, cut into thin diagonal slices
250ml cold water
1 large handful chopped parsley or watercress
1 tsp Clearspring Soya Sauce
10g Clearspring Kuzu
3cm fresh ginger root, grated and then squeezed for juice
Method
1. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan, add the carrots, and mix with a wooden spoon. Sauté for about 3-5 minutes. Add the water, cover, and simmer over a low heat for 5-10 minutes, until the carrots are just tender.
2. Add greens and shoyu, mix together, and simmer for a couple more minutes. Take the pan off the heat.
3. Dissolve the kuzu in a tablespoon of cold water, and slowly add it to the vegetables while stirring constantly. Put the pan back on the heat, and bring to a simmer while you continue to stir. Cook for another couple of minutes, then add the freshly squeezed ginger juice. Mix and serve as a side dish.
Served chilled, this is a refreshing summer dessert.
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
1 1/2 litres apple juice
15g Clearspring Agar Flakes
3 tbsp finely grated lemon peel
5 tbsp tahini
a whole vanilla pod
Method
1. Put the apple juice, agar-agar flakes and lemon peel into a medium saucepan, and leave to soak for 10-15 minutes. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat, and simmer 3-5 minutes. Stir the custard every now and then with a wooden spoon until the agar-agar flakes have completely dissolved. When the flakes have completely dissolved, take it off the heat.
2. Put the tahini into a small bowl. Gradually add about 100ml of hot juice, stirring as you add it. When the tahini reaches a thin, creamy consistency, add it to the pot and stir it in. Slice the vanilla pod along its length, and scrape out the seeds. Mix this seedy paste into the custard.
3. Rinse a shallow bowl or casserole dish in water, then pour in the hot liquid. Leave to cool until it’s firm. This will take a couple of hours. Zap the mixture in a blender until smooth. Leave the custard in a bowl in the fridge, then serve either on its own or as a topping for other desserts, like apple crumble.
Recipe adapted from Peter and Montse Bradford’s book Cooking With Sea Vegetables
Umeboshi paste adds a delightful piquancy to this healthy vegetable dish.
Serves 4
Ingredients
10cm piece of Clearspring Kombu
250ml of water
1 tbsp Clearspring Umeboshi Puree
1 tbsp Clearspring Mikawa Mirin
half a head of Chinese cabbage
1 red pepper
20 snow peas OR mange tout
50g dried lotus root, soaked for 2 hours
3-4 spring onions, cut into 2cm lengths
10g Clearspring Kuzu, ground in a suribachi*
Method
1. Put the kombu and water in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer, uncovered, over a medium heat, then simmer gently for 5 minutes. Remove the kombu and keep it to use another time. Add the umeboshi and mirin to this kombu stock and mix well, leaving it ready for later.
2. Next, cut the Chinese cabbage in half again lengthwise, then core it and slice the leaves crosswise into 2cm wide strips. The core can be used if very thinly sliced. Quarter the red pepper, remove and discard seeds and inner white membranes, then thinly slice on the diagonal. Top and tail the snow peas or mange tout, removing any stringy bits.
3. Heat the oil over a medium heat in a wok or big frying pan. Drain the lotus root and sauté it briefly. Add the red pepper, then the Chinese cabbage, then the spring onions, sautéing for one minute after each vegetable is added. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the snow peas or mange tout, toss, cover and cook for one more minute. Uncover and remove from the heat.
4. Dissolve the kuzu in 30ml cold water and add to the kombu stock. Pour the stock over the vegetables and bring to the boil over a medium heat, stirring gently. Simmer for 1-2 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Serve as a vegetable dish on its own, or as a topping for noodles.
*Japanese pestle & mortar.
Pour this tasty gravy liberally all over your favourite grain dishes and roasts.
Makes a 500ml jug of gravy
Ingredients
2 tbsp Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Clearspring Shiitake Mushrooms, soaked and sliced (see below)
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
a handful of plain wholemeal flour
500ml Clearspring Shiitake Mushroom soaking water
1 tbsp Clearspring Soya Sauce
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp Clearspring Rice Mirin OR white wine
Method
1. Heat the oil in a small frying pan and sauté the shiitake, onion and garlic over a medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Lower the heat, sprinkle the flour over the vegetables, and stir constantly for 2-3 minutes.
2. Slowly add the soaking water while stirring with a wooden spoon to stop the flour from going lumpy. Keep stirring until the gravy begins to simmer and thicken. Add the shoyu, thyme and mirin or wine, and simmer gently for about 15 minutes, stirring now and then. Keep warm until you’re ready to serve.
Cooking with Shiitake
Cover the mushrooms in lukewarm water for at least 30 minutes. Once rehydrated, remove and discard any stems and thinly slice the caps. Use with their soaking water for superb soups, stews and sauces, or add the sliced mushrooms to stir-fries, fried rice or noodles, or casseroles.
This soup is a delicious way to give your immune system a boost. Substitute other spring vegetables if you want, and cook until tender.
Serves 4
Ingredients
7g dried Maitake Mushrooms
1250ml cold water
300g Clearspring Tofu, cut into 1cm cubes
100g watercress, chopped into 5cm lengths
3 tbsp Clearspring Brown Rice Miso or Clearspring Barley Miso
4 spring onions, cut into thin slices
Method
1. Soak the maitake in the water in a saucepan for 15-20 minutes.
2. Bring the water and mushrooms to a simmer over a medium heat, and gently cook the maitake for 15 minutes. Add tofu and simmer for about a minute, then add watercress and simmer another minute or so.
3. Take the soup off the heat. In a cup, dissolve the miso in a little bit of the liquid, and add it to the soup. Sprinkle with the spring onions and serve.
Avocado’s buttery texture and mild flavour are similar to some varieties of raw fish sashimi. As with sashimi, a dip of shoyu and wasabi is perfect served on the side.This appetiser works best as the first course of a dinner. Its complex flavour stimulates the taste buds ready for the main course.
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 small or medium-sized ripe avocado
the juice of a lemon
2 tbsp Clearspring Sushi Soya Sauce
100ml cold water
11/2 tsp Clearspring Wasabi
Method
1. Halve the avocado lengthwise, slicing through to the stone. Twist halves and pull apart. Remove the pit, then peel the avocado. Thinly slice the avocado halves lengthwise, then coat the slices lightly with the lemon juice to stop them going brown. Put three slices onto each dish - sushi plates are ideal.
2. Mix the shoyu and water, dividing the mixture into individual dip saucers – allow about 1 tablespoon per serving. Add one drop of water at a time to the wasabi powder and mix until it forms a thick paste. Place a small dollop of wasabi on each plate of avocado “sashimi” for guests to mix into their shoyu dip. Try placing the wasabi on a very thin slice of red radish to add colour to this dish.
3. To eat, pick up each avocado slice with chopsticks, dip into the shoyu and wasabi, and enjoy.
Udon and lomein noodles go especially well with this popular sauce, and soba noodles taste good with it too. This version of the recipe is simply garnished with spring onions, but try topping the noodles and sauce with steamed vegetables.
Serves 2-3
Ingredients
250g uncooked Clearspring Soba or Clearspring Udon
4 tbsp Clearspring Sweet White Miso
3-4 tbsp tahini
100ml cold water
2 tbsp Clearspring Brown Rice Vinegar
1 tbsp Clearspring Mikawa Mirin
3cm fresh ginger root, grated and then squeezed for its juice
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
a pinch of dried tarragon, basil, or thyme
a finely chopped spring onion
Method
1. Boil the noodles in 2.5 litres of water, as described below. Mix the miso and tahini in a small saucepan. Add the water a little at a time, and mix well to make a smooth sauce. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a gentle simmer. If it’s too thick, add a bit more water; if it’s too thin, simmer briefly to thicken the sauce.
2. To serve, put the noodles into individual serving bowls, spoon the sauce over the top, and sprinkle with the spring onion.
Cooking Japanese Noodles
Since most Japanese noodles are made with salt, you don’t need to add salt to the cooking water. You need about 2.5 litres boiling water to every 250 grams of noodles. Add the noodles a few at a time so the water doesn’t stop boiling. Stir gently until the water is boiling rapidly again to prevent the noodles from sticking to the bottom of the pan. If too many noodles are added at once, the water won’t return to the boil quickly enough, and the noodles will overcook on the outside and undercook on the inside. Also, using too little water will result in sticky, unevenly cooked noodles.
Some Japanese cooks boil them as described above, but add a cup of cold water once the water comes to the boil. When the water returns to a boil again, another cup of cold water is added. This is repeated three or four times until the noodles are cooked.
Either way, you need to test the noodles frequently to make sure they don’t overcook. A properly cooked noodle is slightly chewy and the same colour throughout. Once cooked, immediately drain and rinse the noodles in two or three cold-water baths or under cold running water. This stops them cooking and keeps the noodles from sticking together. If necessary, reheat by putting them in a colander and submerging in a pot of boiling water until just heated. Drain well and serve.
Vary the vegetables according to seasonal availability. Fresh peas, sweetcorn, red and green peppers and radishes are all tasty and colourful variations for this dish.
Serves 3-4
Ingredients
250g Clearspring Soba
1 large or 2 medium carrots, cut into 4cm matchsticks
a head of broccoli cut into florets
2 spring onions, sliced
2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
For dressing
2 tbsp Clearspring Toasted Sesame Oil
1/2 tsp chili-flavored sesame oil OR a pinch of chilli powder
2 tbsp Clearspring Tamari Soya Sauce
3 tbsp Clearspring Brown Rice Vinegar
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Method
1. Break noodles into even lengths of about a third, and boil them in about 2.5 litres of water, as described below.
2. Steam the carrots and broccoli for a few minutes, then rinse under cold water. Combine all the vegetables with the cooked noodles in a medium-sized bowl.
3. Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a cup with a fork, and add the liquid to the vegetables and noodles. Toss gently and serve.
Cooking Japanese Noodles
Since most Japanese noodles are made with salt, you don’t need to add salt to the cooking water. You need about 2.5 litres boiling water to every 250 grams of noodles. Add the noodles a few at a time so the water doesn’t stop boiling. Stir gently until the water is boiling rapidly again to prevent the noodles from sticking to the bottom of the pan. If too many noodles are added at once, the water won’t return to the boil quickly enough, and the noodles will overcook on the outside and undercook on the inside. Also, using too little water will result in sticky, unevenly cooked noodles.
Some Japanese cooks boil them as described above, but add a cup of cold water once the water comes to the boil. When the water returns to a boil again, another cup of cold water is added. This is repeated three or four times until the noodles are cooked.
Either way, you need to test the noodles frequently to make sure they don’t overcook. A properly cooked noodle is slightly chewy and the same colour throughout. Once cooked, immediately drain and rinse the noodles in two or three cold-water baths or under cold running water. This stops them cooking and keeps the noodles from sticking together. If necessary, reheat by putting them in a colander and submerging in a pot of boiling water until just heated. Drain well and serve.
The golden colour and light, sweet flavour of this nutritious soup makes it a good choice during the warmer months.
Serves 4
Ingredients
30cm piece of Clearspring Wakame
1 1/2 litres Clearspring Kombu and three dried shiitake or maitake mushrooms in about 2 litres of water for at least 15 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, and thinly slice the caps. Then return them to the water, bring it to the boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove the kombu and keep it to use for cooking as a condiment or with beans.
">dashi, vegetable stock, or water
1 large or 2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
6 small spring onions, cut into 1cm pieces
80g Clearspring Sweet White Miso
Method
1. Soak the wakame for 10 minutes, cut away any tough ribs, and slice the fronds into 2cm pieces.
2. While it’s soaking, bring the liquid to the boil, add the carrots, and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add the spring onions and simmer for a few more minutes. Add the wakame to the soup, simmer for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat.
4. In a cup, thin the miso with a little bit of the hot soup, then add this liquid back into the pan.
5. Stir the miso in well, then leave the soup for a couple of minutes so that the flavours can mingle.
Try this as a packed lunch or for picnics.
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 medium carrots, cut into long strips about 1/2cm thick
1/2 cucumber, cut lengthwise into strips like the carrots
1 sheet nori
For dressing
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 tsp mustard
an orange, squeezed
1 teaspoon Clearspring Barley Miso
Method
1. Steam the carrots for 3-5 minutes, until they’re tender, then rinse under cold water and drain. Toast the nori by carefully holding the sheet horizontally 5cm above an open flame using tongs, then gently rotating it for a few seconds until its colour changes to a vivid green. Cut the sheet using kitchen scissors into four equally sized strips.
2. Take two pieces of each vegetable and wrap one strip of nori around each bundle. Use a drop of water to seal the ends. Repeat the process with the other three bundles, then arrange them in a serving dish.
3. To make the dressing, mix all the ingredients together in a cup with a fork. Add a little water if the paste is too thick. You’re aiming for a loose and creamy dressing. Serve on the side, or drip around the dish in a spiral to serve.
Recipe by Montse Bradford
Long summer days are a perfect time to make the most of fresh sweetcorn. Try this salad for a perfect lunch, or as a side dish.
Serves 6
Ingredients
30g Clearspring Arame, soaked in cold water for 10 minutes
1 tbsp Clearspring Shoyu Soya Sauce
3 ears of fresh sweetcorn OR a medium-sized tin
20 pods of green peas, shelled OR a generous handful of frozen peas
a handful of bean sprouts
100g grated carrots
For dressing
4 tbsp coarse grain mustard
2 tbsp tahini
3 tbsp Clearspring Brown Rice Vinegar
100ml cold water
Method
1. Drain the arame, keeping the soaking water, then cut it into 4cm lengths. Slowly pour the soaking water into a pan, throwing away the little bit at the bottom with the sediment. Add the arame and, if necessary, some fresh water to almost cover it. Bring to the boil, put the lid on, lower the heat, and simmer for 35 minutes. Add the shoyu and cook until the water has evaporated, which will be about 10 minutes. Take off the heat and set aside.
2. If you’re using fresh sweetcorn, steam them until the kernels are tender. Remove the corn from the water, and allow it to cool, then remove the kernels from the cobs. If you’re using fresh peas, steam them for about 10 minutes until they’re cooked, and then steam the bean sprouts for up to a minute to blanch them. Put the veg on a plate to cool after cooking. If you’re using frozen peas and tinned sweetcorn, simply defrost the peas and drain the sweetcorn, then add to the raw beansprouts.
3. In a serving bowl, mix the arame, corn, peas, bean sprouts, and raw carrot. Blend the dressing ingredients together until smooth, either in a blender or using a fork. Add the dressing to the salad, mixing well. Serve with tabouleh salad or cold Japanese noodles.
Recipe adapted from Peter and Montse Bradford’s book Cooking With Sea Vegetables
This quick and easy recipe makes a delicious spread for toast, crackers, or flatbread, or as a dip for sticks of celery or cucumber. Make it just before serving to make sure it keeps its green colour, using soft, ripe avocadoes. The skin should peel easily and the flesh will be easy to mash.
Ingredients
1 large or 2 small ripe avocadoes, peeled and pitted
1/4 of a small onion, grated
1 tbsp Clearspring Ume Plum Seasoning
the juice of 1/2 a lemon
a sprig of parsley, finely chopped
Method
Mash the avocadoes with a fork. Add all of the other ingredients, and mix well with the fork.
Serve immediately with hot pitta breads and olives.
Another of our favourite salad dressings.
Makes enough for a salad for two
Try this recipes with other vegetables such as sliced parsnips or thinly sliced cabbage instead of green beans.
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tbsp Clearspring Sunflower OR Safflower Oil
30g flaked almonds
750g green beans, top and tailed, then thinly sliced
a pinch of Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
3 tbsp Clearspring Sweet White Miso
3 tbsp Clearspring Rice Mirin
Method
1. Heat the oil in a medium-sized frying pan over a medium heat. Add the almonds and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the green beans and salt, and sauté for 1-2 minutes more. Add enough water to just cover the bottom of the pan. Cover and steam until the beans are tender but still have a crunch.
2. Mix the miso and mirin and pour over the beans. Toss and cook for one more minute, adding a little water if needed.
Tofu is so much tastier when served marinated in tamari, especially in combination with mirin.
Serves 4
Ingredients
400g Clearspring Tofu, cut into 2cm cube
1 tbsp Clearspring Toasted Sesame Oil
250g fresh mushrooms, sliced
4 cups of small broccoli florets
For marinade
3 tbsp Clearspring Mikawa Mirin
2 tbsp Clearspring Tamari Soya Sauce
2 tbsp Clearspring Tsuyu (Clearspring Kombu and three dried shiitake or maitake mushrooms in about 2 litres of water for at least 15 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, and thinly slice the caps. Then return them to the water, bring it to the boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove the kombu and keep it to use for cooking as a condiment or with beans.
">dashi) OR water
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
4cm fresh ginger root, grated
juice of half a lemon
Method
1. Mix all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add the tofu, and marinate for about half and hour to an hour, turning occasionally.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the mushrooms, and sauté over a medium heat for 3 minutes. Remove the tofu from the marinade and add it to the frying pan along with the broccoli. Toss gently, and add 2 tablespoons of the marinade. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Turn off the heat and remove the lid immediately to stop the broccoli from losing its colour. Serve hot with brown rice or roasted buckwheat.
This quick, easy and delicious recipe is great for lazy weekend breakfasts. The sweetcorn, peppers and spring onions are optional – try different vegetables depending on what’s in season.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 tbsp Clearspring Toasted Sesame Oil
1 onion, finely diced
a red pepper, seeded and diced
2 ears of cooked fresh sweetcorn, OR a small tin of corn
2 spring onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
300g Clearspring Tofu
a dash of Clearspring Soya Sauce, to taste
a handful of chopped parsley
1 tbsp toasted black sesame seeds
Method
1. Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the red pepper and sauté for a further 2 minutes. With a sharp knife, cut the kernels from the ears of corn if you’re using fresh, or simply open the tin if you’re not. Add the corn and spring onions to the pan, and sauté for 1 minute.
2. With your hands, crumble the tofu into the pan, add shoyu to taste, and scramble the tofu for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the parsley and black sesame seeds, and serve hot with a crusty baguette or croissants.
Fluffy white grains of rice koji, here being used to make sake.
Making koji for use in Clearspring's mirin.
Clumps of rice are broken up to ensure that the koji develops in a uniform way.
The rice inoculated with kojikin culture is placed in wooden trays in a warm, humid atmosphere to propogate.
Miso is just one of the many traditional Japanese foods that relies on koji...
...as is sake, here served in a traditional wooden container called a masu.
Koji is the culture behind Japanese food production, discover what it is and how it is used.
What is it?
Koji is not actually a yeast, as many people mistakenly believe. Koji is cooked rice and/or soya beans that have been inoculated with a fermentation culture with the Latin name Aspergillus oryzae. This naturally occurring culture is particularly prevalent in Japan, where it is known as koji-kin, which explains why so many Japanese foods have been developed over the centuries using it. It is used to make popular foods like soya sauce, miso, mirin and sake.
The first step in making all the foods listed above is creating the koji. This involves adding the Aspergillus culture to steamed rice or soya beans or, in the case of shoyu soya sauce, to a combination of steamed soya beans and roasted, cracked wheat.
The resulting mixture is then placed in a warm and humid place for up to 50 hours, often in wooden trays called koji buta in Japanese. During this time the Aspergillus feeds on the rice or soya beans, using enzymes that are adept at breaking down carbohydrates and proteins.
How it is used
Once it has been created, the koji is usually added to larger quantities of rice or soya beans, together with a brine solution. In the case of mirin, it is mixed with glutinous rice and the distilled alcoholic beverage shochu. In each case, the enzymes in the koji break down complex carbohydrates and proteins into amino acids, fatty acids and simple sugars.
When making sake, rice must first of all be mixed with koji, which breaks down the carbohydrates into sugars that can then be fermented by yeast to produce alcohol and carbon dioxide.
What it offers
The amino acids, fatty acids and simple sugars released by the action of the koji add flavour, depth and, it has been argued, a number of health benefits to foods. For example, the fermentation of soya beans using koji to create miso is known to increase the levels of isoflavones (link to Q & A on isoflavones), which are compounds that are said to be effective in the prevention of cancer.
One of the amino acids released by the action of koji is glutamate, which imparts an intensely satisfying and delicious savoury taste known as umami. This, combined with the simple sugars also released, to ensure that foods made using koji have a uniquely rounded and deep flavour.
An interesting variation on sushi made using rice, complete with a flavoursome dipping sauce. Noodle rolls require a delicate hand, but are not difficult to make. When patiently and skillfully prepared, the reward is a beautiful, elegant and tasty main dish. For variety, add other ingredients with the noodles to fill the rolls. Strips of fried tempeh or seitan, sauerkraut, blanched scallion greens, radish sprouts, and toasted and ground sesame seeds are excellent filling choices.
Serves 4
Ingredients
8oz (250g) Clearspring Soba
4 sheets Clearspring Sushi Nori or Clearspring Untoasted Nori
2 tsp Clearspring Wasabi
For dipping sauce
1½ tbsp Clearspring Shoyu Soya Sauce
1½ tbsp water or Clearspring Miso Bouillon dissolved in water
1½ tsp Clearspring Mikawa Mirin
Method
1. Cook the noodles according to the directions on the package. Rinse under cold running water or in a cold water bath until cool enough to handle, then drain thoroughly. Once drained, neatly arrange the noodles on a clean, dry towel. Spread them out in even lines from left to right.
2. Toast the nori (or use pretoasted sushi nori). Place one sheet of nori, toasted side down, on a sushi mat, small towel or counter. Lay one quarter of the noodles side by side across the nori. There should be ½ inch (1.25 cm) of uncovered nori at the bottom and 1½inches (3.75 cm) at the top. Roll up nori as firmly as possibly. Let the nori rest on its seam.
3. Repeat with the remaining sheets of nori and noodles.
4. Using a sharp knife, and cleaning the blade after each cut, carefully slice rolls in half, then cut each half into 3 equal pieces.
5. Combine the shoyu, water or vegetable stock and mirin in a small bowl and mix well. Place in small individual saucers.
6. Add one drop of water at a time to the wasabi and mix until it forms a thick paste.
7. To serve, place noodle roll pieces, cut side up, on a platter along with the mound of wasabi paste. You may also add wasabi to the individual bowls of dipping sauce. Wasabi is strong-flavoured, so begin by adding a small amount to the sauce, then add more depending on individual taste.
Recipe taken from Japanese Foods that Heal by John and Jan Belleme
Christopher puts his point across at the event.
Maria Furugori and Setsuko Dawson serve the macrobiotic buffet to Slow Food members.
Koichi Sakai served Clearspring's Tamaki sake, which was enthusiastically received.
Slow Food members at the event.
William Hollingworth gets to the bottom of why Clearspring are leading the market in ;
These cones are a quick and easy starter, and are fun for parties too.
Makes 8 cones
Ingredients
2 sheets Clearspring Sushi Nori
100g cooked Clearspring Brown Rice
a handful of chopped watercress
a large carrot, grated
4 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
juice of half a lemon
1 tbsp coarse grain mustard
1 tbsp Clearspring Ume Plum Seasoning
watercress sprigs for garnish
Method
1. With scissors, cut each nori sheet into four quarters.
2. Place all the remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix together well.
3. Take one piece of nori at a time, carefully rolling it into a cone.
4. Use a drop of water on your finger to stick the overlapping sides together.
5. Just before serving, fill each cone with the mix, decorating the top of each one with a sprig of watercress.
Recipe adapted from Peter and Montse Bradford’s book Cooking With Sea Vegetables.
This classic Japanese soup is commonly served at New Year, but can be enjoyed all year round.
Serves 5-6
Ingredients:
1 burdock root
1 large carrot
2 litres Clearspring Kombu and three dried shiitake or maitake mushrooms in about 2 litres of water for at least 15 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, and thinly slice the caps. Then return them to the water, bring it to the boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove the kombu and keep it to use for cooking as a condiment or with beans.
">dashi
8 Clearspring Shiitake Mushrooms or Maitake, soaked and sliced
1 tablespoon Clearspring Mikawa Mirin
3 spring onions, trimmed and cut into 2cm lengths
4 Chinese cabbage, Swiss Chard or spinach leaves, chopped
6 pieces mochi
4 tablespoons Clearspring Sweet White Miso OR 2 tablespoons Clearspring Soya Sauce
Method:
1. Scrub the burdock, cut into 5cm julienne strips, and place in cold water to prevent discoloration. Cut the carrot in a similar way, but a bit thicker. Drain the burdock and add it to the dashi in a saucepan. Simmer for 15 minutes over a medium heat, then add the carrots and mushrooms. Simmer for 10 more minutes.
2. Add the mirin, spring onions and greens, and cook for 5 more minutes. While the soup is cooking, place the mochi onto a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake at 180°C/ Gas Mark 4 until slightly brown and puffy. Check regularly to see if they’re done. It will take about ten minutes. When they’re ready, take the mochi out of the oven, and cut into bite-sized pieces.
3. When the cabbage is just tender, add the mochi and gently simmer for 1 more minute. If you’re using shoyu, now’s the time to add it. If you’re using miso, dissolve the miso paste in a little bit of the broth before adding it to the soup. Let the soup sit for a couple of minutes before serving.
This authentic Japanese dish is satisfying and quick to prepare. Noodles served in a clear broth like this recipe is a pretty standard lunch in Japan, with bars all over every city offering this dish. Try topping the noodles with a mix of steamed, simmered, or deep-fried vegetables and tofu for a complete dinner. Udon, brown rice udon, or soba are particularly recommended for this dish.
Serves 2
Ingredients
250g Clearspring Wide Udon
4 tbsp Clearspring Tamari Soya Sauce OR Clearspring Shoyu Soya Sauce
2 tbsp Clearspring Mikawa Mirin
500ml Clearspring Kombu and three dried shiitake or maitake mushrooms in about 2 litres of water for at least 15 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, and thinly slice the caps. Then return them to the water, bring it to the boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove the kombu and keep it to use for cooking as a condiment or with beans.
">dashi
1-2 tsp fresh ginger juice squeezed from grated fresh ginger
2 spring onions, finely chopped
Method
1. Cook the noodles as described below. Add the tamari or shoyu plus mirin to the dashi, and simmer for 1 minute. Take the broth off the heat and add the ginger juice.
2. To serve, divide the noodles into two deep individual serving bowls. Ladle the hot broth over the noodles to almost cover them, and sprinkle with the chopped spring onion.
Tip: if you do not have the time to squeeze the juice out of the grated ginger, just add the grated ginger directly and pass the broth through the sieve when pouring the broth over the noodles.
Cooking Japanese Noodles
Since most Japanese noodles are made with salt, you don’t need to add salt to the cooking water. You need about 2.5 litres boiling water to every 250 grams of noodles. Add the noodles a few at a time so the water doesn’t stop boiling. Stir gently until the water is boiling rapidly again to prevent the noodles from sticking to the bottom of the pan. If too many noodles are added at once, the water won’t return to the boil quickly enough, and the noodles will overcook on the outside and undercook on the inside. Also, using too little water will result in sticky, unevenly cooked noodles.
Some Japanese cooks boil them as described above, but add a cup of cold water once the water comes to the boil. When the water returns to a boil again, another cup of cold water is added. This is repeated three or four times until the noodles are cooked.
Either way, you need to test the noodles frequently to make sure they don’t overcook. A properly cooked noodle is slightly chewy and the same colour throughout. Once cooked, immediately drain and rinse the noodles in two or three cold-water baths or under cold running water. This stops them cooking and keeps the noodles from sticking together. If necessary, reheat by putting them in a colander and submerging in a pot of boiling water until just heated. Drain well and serve.
An excellent way to enjoy one of Japan's quintessential sea vegetables
Serves 5
Ingredients
25g Clearspring Hijiki
1 tbsp Clearspring Toasted Sesame Oil
4-5 Clearspring Shiitake Mushrooms or Maitake Mushrooms, soaked for 2 hours, then sliced
4 pieces snow-dried tofu
2 tbsp Clearspring Shoyu Soya Sauce
1 tbsp Clearspring Mikawa Mirin
2 carrots, sliced thinly on the diagonal
a handful of chopped fresh parsley
Method
Wash the hijiki, then add water to almost cover it and simmer for about 35 minutes. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the sliced mushrooms, and sauté for 2 minutes. Carefully drain the hijiki in a colander, keeping the soaking water to use as a stock another time. Add the hijiki it to the pan and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add the mushroom soaking water plus some fresh water to almost cover the vegetables, then bring to a boil, lower the heat, and leave to simmer with the lid on.
Meanwhile, soak the snow-dried tofu for 5 minutes, then squeeze out the excess water. Dice it, and add to the hijiki, mixing well. Simmer for 30 minutes. Mix in the shoyu and mirin, then put the carrots on top of the hijiki mixture, cover the pan, and cook for 10 more minutes. Mix well. If there’s still any liquid, cook uncovered over a medium heat for a few minutes until it’s nearly dry. Sprinkle the parsley over the top, then cover and cook for 1 more minute.
Serve with pan-fried mochi or as a filling for pitta breads.
This richly flavoured and attractive tofu dish is quick and simple to prepare. It is perfect when you have unexpected guests.
Serves 4
Ingredients
300g Clearspring Tofu
For marinade
2 tbsp Clearspring Mikawa Mirin
1 tbsp Clearspring Shizengo Sake, Clearspring Tamaki Sake or dry white wine
a dash of Clearspring Shoyu Soya Sauce
OR, instead of above, 3 tbsp Clearspring Teriyaki Sauce
1 tbsp Clearspring Toasted Sesame Oil
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 spring onions, finely chopped
Method
1. Cut the tofu into four equal slices, and put it onto a plate. Mix the mirin, sake or wine, and shoyu, then pour this marinade over the tofu. Alternatively, use Organic Teriyaki Sauce. Turn the tofu to coat all sides and leave to marinate for 15-20 minutes, turning it now and then.
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium to low heat. Remove the tofu and fry on one side until lightly browned – be careful not to burn it. Turn and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Add the remaining marinade and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
3. Place a slice of tofu on each plate, spreading a little of the liquid left in the pan over each slice. Squeeze a few drops of juice out of the grated ginger onto each serving, and sprinkle some of the spring onion over the top. Serve hot with sea vegetable salad or mochi.
This classic Japanese side dish is tasty and nutritious.
Serves 4
Ingredients
3 medium burdock roots
1 tbsp Clearspring Toasted Sesame Oil
1 tbsp Clearspring Sunflower Oil
2 large carrots
2 tbsp Clearspring Mikawa Mirin
1 tbsp Clearspring Tamari Soya Sauce
a pinch of Japanese Seven Spice OR cayenne pepper
Method
1. Scrub the burdock roots well, and cut into very thin, 5cm long julienne strips. Immediately submerge the strips in cold water to stop them from discoloring. Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan over a medium heat, then add the drained burdock and sauté for about 5-7 minutes. Add a couple of tablespoons of water, then cover and cook over a medium to low heat for 10-15 minutes, or until the burdock is nearly tender. Meanwhile, scrub the carrots and cut them into julienne strips.
2. Add the carrots and half the mirin. Fry briefly, then cover and leave to cook. Check regularly that the vegetables are not sticking to the bottom of the pan, and if they are, move them about with a wooden spoon. When the liquid is absorbed, add the tamari, the rest of the mirin, and the spices. Toss, cover, and cook briefly until tender, adding a couple of tablespoons of water if necessary. Serve hot as a side dish.
*Burdock root is prized in Japan for its crunchy texture and earthy flavour, as well as its strong medicinal qualities. Some specialist retailers are beginning to stock it in the UK, such as organic box schemes and some branches of Fresh & Wild. But probably the most consistent way to find burdock roots is to simply grow them yourself. They grow very easily with next to no encouragement in most kinds of soil. Alternatively, simply use parsnips instead for this recipe, or use more carrots to replace the burdock.
*Japanese Seven Spice (Shichimi Togarashi) is a mix of nori flakes, white and black sesame seeds, sansho pepper, chilli flakes, dried tangerine peel, and hemp or poppy seeds, and is a ubiquitous flavouring added to many dishes in Japan. This dish, adapted from a traditional Japanese recipe, is a simple way to enjoy burdock during its autumn and winter season.
Creating this well loved Japanese staple at home is easier than you think, with our step-by-step instructions.
For the batter:
plain or strong white flour
cold water
a pinch of salt
There are no exact measurements, as you should adjust the quantities of flour and water in order to get the required consistency. As a guide, however, you should require one cup of water for each cup of flour.
Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl and add the water. Stir gently whilst adding the water, but don't over-mix the batter.
Test the consistency of the batter by dipping your chopsticks in and out. Ideally, a few drops of batter should form at the end of the chopsticks.
For the vegetables:
A great variety of vegetables are suitable for tempura, as long as they are cut into thin slices. These include courgette, onion, bell pepper, sweet potato, squash, eggplant, carrot, green or red pepper, broccoli and mushrooms.
Wash the thinly sliced vegetables and dry them before dipping them in the tempura batter.
For the frying oil:
Japanese people traditionally use toasted sesame oil for tempura, but you could also use Clearspring’s Sunflower Frying Oil. It is preferable to use one single type of oil for the tempura.
You will need approximately 500ml of oil.
Method:
1. Heat the oil in a heavy, wok-type pan. You can test the oil has reached correct temperature by adding a drop of batter: when the oil is hot enough, the batter should float to the surface almost immediately.
2. Place the battered vegetables in the oil after draining any excess batter (use the sides of your bowl to help with this). Try not to throw the vegetables in, but gently dip them in from the side of the pan. Try to avoid leaving drops of batter in the oil, as you will have to remove them from time to time to avoid them burning.
3. Once the tempura pieces have turned a light golden colour, remove them from the oil and allow the excess oil to drain off in a drainer or on kitchen paper.
Tips:
Try frying pieces of Clearspring Nori or Sushi Nori cut into 2 x 2 inch squares, either as they are or with the rough side dipped in batter. They can also be wrapped around battered mushrooms and fried (see image).
If there is some batter left at the end, you could add thinly cut spring onions or any other very thinly cut vegetable and make small balls of batter that can then be fried. In Japan, this is known as kakiage.
The tempura can be served with some grated daikon (giant white radish) with a drop of Clearspring Tamari Soya Sauce or Clearspring Shoyu Soya Sauce added.
Tempura is not complete without a delicious dipping sauce or tsuyu. Click here for the recipe.
Step 1: Wash thoroughly
Step 2: Drain
Step 3: Put rice and water in a saucepan
Step 4: Leaving the rice to steam for 10 minutes ensures it is done to perfection
Step 5: Put the cooked rice in a wide, shallow container.
Step 6: Add the vinegar.
Step 7: Cool the rice.
Step 8: Cover the rice until needed.
Cook your sushi rice to perfection with our easy to follow, step-by-step recipes. Choose between our basic method, ideal for beginners who nonetheless want to produce their own delicious sushi rice, and our advanced method for those who are looking to make the genuine article.
Ingredients
125g Clearspring Sushi Rice
Sushi should never be made using long grain rice, as it is too dry to shape.
170ml cold water
Quantities may be varied according to the amount of rice required, but the ratio of uncooked rice to water should be one part rice to one and a quarter parts water.
1tbsp Clearspring Sushi Rice Seasoning
You can make your own sushi rice seasoning by mixing together:
Method
1. Wash the rice in a bowl with cold water, handling the grains gently and rinsing frequently until the water runs clear. Soak in 170ml of cold water for 30mins before cooking.
2. Place the rice and water in a saucepan, bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer with a lid on for 10-12 minutes. Remove and leave to steam for a further 10 minutes.
3. Use a spatula to remove the rice from the pan and spread over the
base of a large bowl taking care not to crush the grains. Pour the sushi vinegar mix or the Sushi Rice Seasoning evenly over the rice and make cutting and folding movements with the spatula to mix it well. Do not mash or stir, as you risk crushing the grains.
Ingredients
125g Clearspring Sushi Rice
Sushi should never be made using long grain rice, as it is too dry to shape.
170ml cold water
Quantities may be varied according to the amount of rice required, but the ratio of uncooked rice to water should be one part rice to one and a quarter parts water.
1tbsp Clearspring Sushi Rice Seasoning
You can make your own sushi rice seasoning by mixing together:
Bring the mirin to the boil to burn off the alcohol and allow to cool. Add the Brown Rice Vinegar.
Utensils
Handai (Wooden bowl)
Shamoji (flat wooden scoop)
Uchiwa (paper fan)
Saucepan with a tight fitting lid
If using a rice cooker, measure the required amount of rice using the measuring cup supplied with the cooker, and use the amount of water indicated on the inside wall of the cooker. If in doubt refer to your cooker’s instruction manual. Follow the instructions below, but at stage 3, place required amount of rice and water, and kombu (dried kelp) if using, in the rice cooker and switch on. When the rice is cooked, leave it in the cooker for 10 minutes without removing the lid. Then return to stage 5 of the instructions below.
Method
1. First, wash the rice thoroughly by placing it in a bowl, and covering with plenty of fresh, cold water. Mix lightly with your hands, and the starch from the rice will turn the water white.
2. Drain the water by using your palm as a barrier, and repeat 3-5 times, until the water remains clear. When draining for the final time, a sieve may be used. The rice should then be left for 30 minutes before cooking. This will ensure that the cooked rice is not too soft and sticky, and will absorb the sushi vinegar correctly.
3. Place the rice and water in a saucepan. A 10cm square of kombu may be added at this stage. This adds depth to the flavour of the rice. Wipe the kombu with a damp cloth before using. Bring to the boil over a medium heat, and remove the kombu, if using, just before boiling point is reached.
4. When boiling point has been reached, put the lid on the pan, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes without removing the lid. Remove from the heat, then take off the lid and cover promptly with a tea towel. Put the lid back on, and leave for a further 10 minutes.
5. Next, use a shamoji to remove the rice from the pan, and place in a wide, shallow container, ideally the traditional Japanese cypress wood rice tub known as a handai. Spread the rice evenly over the bowl using the shamoji, taking care not to crush the kernels.
6. Add the sushi vinegar promptly, pouring it as evenly as possible over the rice. Using the shamoji, make gentle cutting and folding movements to incorporate the vinegar thoroughly into the rice, being sure not to crush the kernels by mashing or stirring.
7. At the same time as cutting and folding, fan the rice with a paper fan to ensure it cools down quickly. You may wish to ask someone to help you at this point. It should take about 10 minutes for the rice to have cooled down, by which point all the rice is coated evenly with vinegar.
8. You should be left with rice that has a beautiful lustre, and does not stick together in lumps or clumps. The sushi rice should be covered with a clean cloth until it is required. It should ideally be used within an hour of preparation, and should never be refrigerated.
Click here for our Sushi Nori Rolls Recipe.
Clearspring ;
Christopher Dawson with staff at Moshiro
Packing umeboshi at Morisho
From specially selected, ready toasted Sushi ;
This simple stir-fry provides a delicious and satisfying main meal.
Ingredients
2 cups of cooked Clearspring Brown Rice
2 tablespoons Clearspring Sesame or Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ block of firm tofu
1 or 2 carrots cut into fine matchsticks
1 or 2 celery stalks, finely sliced
1 cup of fresh mushrooms, finely sliced
½ cup fresh or frozen peas
Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
Clearspring Soya Sauce or Cleaspring Tamari Soya Sauce to taste
Clearspring Brown Rice Vinegar or Clearspring Mikawa Mirin to taste
Method
1. Heat the frying pan and add the oil.
2. Slice the tofu into small cubes, add to the pan and sauté for 2 or 3 minutes. Add shoyu, water and mirin and fry for another minute or two. Put on the side.
3. Fry the carrots, celery and mushrooms and a pinch of salt and sauté for 2 or 3 minutes. Add the peas and a few drops of shoyu and sauté until the peas are tender.
4. Add the cooked rice and sauté a few more minutes.
5. Stir in a few teaspoons of shoyu and a little rice vinegar or mirin, add the tofu and serve.
As well as being tasty and indulgent, this lemon pie is free of dairy products and low in sugar.
Ingredients
For pastry
1 cup spelt flour
½ cup strong white flour
1/8 tsp Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
3 tbsp Clearspring Malt Syrup
3 tbsp Clearspriong Sunflower Oil
1 tsp baking powder
For filling
1 cup Amazake (millet or rice)
1 cup lemon juice
¼ cup Clearspring Malt Syrup
3 tbsp maple syrup
½ tsp turmeric
3 tbsp Clearspring Agar Flakes
8 tbsp Clearspring Kuzu or arrowroot
½ cup rice milk or soya milk
zest of 2 lemons
Method
Pastry:
1. Mix all the ingredients together and knead.
2. Let it rest for 30 minutes.
3. Roll it out with a rolling pin.
4. Oil a 10” baking tin and lay the pastry in it. Prick it with a fork.
5. Bake for 20 minutes at 175 C or gas mark 4.
6. Let it cool before serving.
Filling:
1. Put amazake, lemon juice and agar flakes in a pan and bring to a boil.
2. Cook for 5-10 minutes until the agar is dissolved, dissolve the kuzu or arrowroot in the rice milk and thicken the liquid. Let it boil for 1 minute. Turn off and add the maple syrup and let it cool for 30 minutes.
3. Pour into the baking tin and let it settle.
4. Garnish with the lemon zest.
This dessert is simple yet effective - a wonderful way to round off a summer meal.
Ingredients
2 cups of water
2½ tsp Clearspring Agar Flakes
pinch of Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
1/3 cup concentrated apple juice
1 cup strawberries, blackberries, currents, raspberries
Method
1. Bring the water to a boil, add the agar flakes and salt and simmer for about 10 minutes until all the agar is dissolved. You may need to stir occasionally. Turn heat off.
2. Add the fruit juice and fruit, stir and place in the individual dishes.
3. Put the dishes in a fridge to cool.
Christopher receives his award from Toshikatsu Matsuoka (left) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, in the presence of former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi (right).
Christopher, at the award ceremony with Junichiro Koizumi, the driving force behind this programme to Promote Japanese produce abroad.
Christopher at JETRO on 18 June.
Apple kuzu
Kuzu fruit custard
Clearspring’s European range is made up of top quality, tasty foods that are made in accordance with Clearspring’s principles of healthy, ethical and sustainable food production by small scale, artisan producers with a real passion for what they do.
The Sunday Mirror recommend Clearspring ;
Easy to make, a lot healthier than conventional sweets and can be eaten hot or cold.
Serves 4 – 6
Ingredients
1/2 cup apple juice
1 tbs Clearspring Agar Flakes
1/2 cup Clearspring Malt Syurp plus maple syrup (in total)
pinch of Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
2 tbsp lemon rind
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp Clearspring Kuzu
1/3 cup soy milk
lemon slices for garnish
Method
1.Bring the apple juice and agar flakes to the boil and simmer for 8-10 mins until the agar has dissolved. Stir.
2.Add the syrup, salt and lemon rind to the pot and stir once more. .
3.Dilute the kuzu powder in cold soy milk, then add to the simmering pot of agar mixture and stir constantly until the liquid is translucent and bubbling.
4.Turn off the heat, add lemon juice and mix well.
Recipe by Mayumi Nishimura
Ms. Sayaka Watanabe, sake sommelier at Zuma restaurant
The bar area at Zuma
Clearspring's range of premium sake
Quality sake rice - the basis of premium sake
Koji being made for Clearspring Tamaki Sake at Akita Seishu brewery
Inspecting the koji at Akita Seishu
Koji for use in Clearspring Shizengo Sake at Oki Daikichi Brewery
Making the moto yeast starter at Oki Daikichi
The fermentation tanks at Oki Daikichi
Inspecting the fermentation mix at Oki Daikichi
Both of Clearspring’s sake producers, Akita Seishu and Oki Daikichi, use traditional, hand-crafted techniques to create premium sake that offers a great taste and delicate aroma.
What is sake
Sake is a Japanese alcoholic beverage made from rice. Although sake is often associated with wine for its alcohol content and the way it is enjoyed, it is not the most accurate comparison. Ideed, most wine undergo a single fermentation process whereas sake is made from multiple parallel fermentation similar to the beer process.
How sake is made
The process itself is extremely complex, but in the simplest terms: the rice is polished, steamed and inoculated with a mould called koji-kin, that has the latin name of Aspergillus oryzae. Once the mould has grown on the rice, this mixture is known as koji. The koji is then added to more polished and steamed rice. The microscopic mould slowly breaks down the carbohydrates of the rice into simple sugars. These sugars, in turn, feed a yeast called moto, that has the latin name of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and is similar to the beermaker's yeast. While the mixture - called moromi - is left to ferment, it is the moto that produces alcohol. The fact that the mould and the yeast work simultaneously gives the process its name of multiple paralell fermentation. The moromi is left in a fermentation container for anything up to forty days. By the end of the process, the mixture has an alcohol content of 20%, giving sake the highest naturally occurring alcohol content of any beverage in the world. Water is generally added to bring this down to around 16-17%.
The ingredients
The majority of sake produced and sold in Japan is known as futsushu or ‘regular’ sake. This often has large amounts of distilled alcohol added, along with artificial flavourings and preservatives, and although some are perfectly drinkable, quality does vary considerably. Around 25% of sake produced, however, are designated as tokutei meishoshu, or special designation sake. These are generally considered to be premium sake, and must meet certain strict criteria laid down by the Japanese government.
Both Clearspring Tamaki and Shizengo sakes are officially classified as junmaishu which belongs to the tokutei meishoshu category. This means that no extra distilled alcohol is added to them and meaning that they are prepared with rice that, after polishing, less than 70% of its original size remains.
Precise rice polishing
Premium sake is made using special rice that has larger grains that regular table rice, and where the fats and fibres are concentrated around the outer part of the grain. One of the most important criteria used to determine the quality of a sake is what percentage of the rice grain remains after these outer parts are milled or ‘polished’ away. This figure is known as seimaibuai, and in short terms, the more a rice is polished, the more exclusive the resulting sake is.
As mentionned earlier, a sake to be classed as junmaishu, this figure must be 70% or less.
If this figure is 60% or less, the sake is then called ginjoshu (or junmai ginjoshu if no distilled alcohol is added).
If this figure is 50% or less, the sake is then called dai ginjoshu (or junmai dai ginjoshu if no distilled alcohol is added).
Clearspring Shizengo sake has a seimaibuai of 60%, while the corresponding figure for Tamaki sake is 50%, meaning that both have the delicate aroma and subtle taste for which these standards of sake are renowned.
Yamahai: a special traditional sake
The moto, or yeast starter used to kick start the fermentation of the sake mixture, is made by the sake maker using yeast, koji, rice and water, and generally has a little lactic acid added to speed up its development. However, in case of Yamahai sake, the yamahai moto is made without the addition of lactic acid, and is allowed to develop naturally. This is a painstaking and time-consuming process, but it results in a sake that displays an uncommon degree of character and roundness of flavour.
Clearspring’s Tamaki is one such sake, making it a relatively rare and special sake drinking experience.
Pressing and filtering
Once the fermentation is complete, the mixture is carefully pressed and then filtered to remove the sake lees or kasu, and leave behind a beautifully clear beverage. The sake is also briefly heated to 65oC to kill bacteria. This process was being carried out long before Louis Pasteur gave his name to a similar procedure in the West.
Maturation
All that remains is for pure spring water to be added to the sake to bring the ABV down to around 16%, and it is then left to mature, generally for around six months, to allow the flavour to develop.
While in modern, large scale sake making factories the process is computer controlled throughout, traditional producers such as the ones Clearspring work with rely on their long experience to judge by sight, sound and taste how to get the procedure just right.
Shiso being cultivated in Japan
Steamed brown rice at the beginning of the mochi making process.
A block of newly made brown rice mochi is weighed at Kojima.
A hearty flavoured and unique, chewy ;
Freshly picked maitake mushrooms
Clearspring maitake mushrooms being grown by Yukiguni in Niigata, Japan
Maitake (Grifola frondosa) are considered the king of mushrooms, because they are so delicious, plus scientifically proven to be a potent medicinal food.
Takano san, who grows the rice for Clearspring's Tamaki sake.
Clearspring Shizengo sake producers
Clean and elegant tasting Shizengo sake is winter-brewed by Oki Daikichi Honten, a 140 year old sake brewery in Fukushima-ken, north
Freshly harvested sea salt.
Beds where salt is traditionally harvested.
A mountain of freshly harvested Traditional Sea Salt.
Christopher inspecting the freshly harvested Fleur de Sel sea salt.
Clearspring's Traditional Sea Salt from the Algarve, in Portugal
Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt is sourced from traditional salt basins located in the Natural Reserve Ria Formosa in The Algarve, an area that is geographically ideal for natural sea salt harvesting using salt basins.
Salt harvesting here has a history going back to the Roman era, some 2,000 years ago, and the same ancient methods and simple equipment are still used today. There is no industry in this coastal area on the Atlantic Ocean, and, with sun 250 days of the year, it ideal for good natural drying.
The salt is harvested in June, July and August, depending on the weather, using time-honoured methods. In May the producers begin to flood the basins with seawater at high tide. The saltpans are flooded until the water level reaches 40-50cm over a period of 4-5 days, with water added each day at high tide. It then takes 3-4 days for the water to evaporate in the sun, until approximately 20cm of sea salt remains, and it generally takes 2 weeks to harvest all the sea salt, using wooden rakes.
This procedure is repeated about three times in a season. The current basin has now been in use for more than 100 years, and yields three harvests of around 60 metric tons of traditional, naturally sun dried sea salt each year.
This sea salt has a very clear and whitish colour, but is totally unrefined. The reason for this is that the clay in the area is very hard and light in colour, so the salt does not take on the earthy grey colour that, say, Guerande salts do. The salt has a moisture content of 8%, and a sodium chloride content of around 96%, which is lower than that of table salt, leaving room for other essential minerals, such as calcium and magnesium.
The Fleur de Sel meanwhile, is harvested using special nets with a fine mesh. It is also naturally sun dried, with a sodium chloride content of 92-93%.
These hand harvested sea salts are certified by a Portuguese organic inspection body and licensed under the Soil Association's certified product scheme. We are very pleased to be offering these sea salts, as they are sustainably produced by small-scale producers in a naturally preserved area.
These traditional sea salts are comparable to handcrafted foods, and are very labour intensive. They are quite different to conventional sea salts, which are often harvested by tractors, washed in seawater, and dried at high temperatures.
We are confident that you will appreciate the exceptional quality of these sea salts.
Checking the quality of Clearspring Organic Rice Crackers.
Clearspring Kuzu being dried
An effective rejuvenating tonic made with three powerful medicinal foods.
Makes 1 cup
This is an effective rejuvenating tonic made with three powerful medicinal foods: umeboshi, kuzu and ginger. All three are known to aid digestion and circulation, and the citric acid in the umeboshi neutralizes lactic acid and eliminates it from the body. Lactic acid build-up in the body is thought to be related to numerous circulatory problems such as hardening of the arteries.
Kuzu cream is commonly recommended by macrobiotic health practitioners for colds, weak intestines, general body pains, stomach cramps, and diarrhoea, as well as for neutralising excess stomach acidity. It’s also a great preventive!
Kuzu Cream is most effective when taken about one hour before meals (preferably in the morning when the stomach is empty). The recipe below makes a thick cream. If a thinner cream is desired, reduce the amount of kuzu to 1 heaped teaspoon.
In a small enamel or non-metallic saucepan, thoroughly dissolve the kuzu in water. Add the umeboshi and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. As soon as the mixture begins to bubble around the edges, stir constantly until the kuzu thickens and becomes translucent. Gently simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove from heat. Add the ginger and soya sauce (if desired) to taste.
The Umeboshi
Ume fruit growing on the tree
Umeboshi are carefully selected and packed for Clearspring
Shiso or perilla leaves give umeboshi their distinctive red colour
The finished product
“The abrupt, searingly tart, tangy, salty taste jolts the eyes open, shakes the stomach awake, sandpapers off any staleness from the taste buds, and gets the day off to an unforgettable start.”
In some Japanese cities it is not unusual to see a small, seventeenth-century, tile-roofed Buddhist temple nestled between tall, modern glass office buildings. Even in the more traditional countryside, the contrast between old and new can be stark. While one family sits at a contemporary Western-style dinner table eating imported steak, their more typical neighbours are seated on the floor eating rice and miso soup with chopsticks.
However, when it comes to Japanese pickled plums, or umeboshi (literally, dried plum), everyone seems to agree that there is no modern substitute for its zesty palate-cleansing flavour and fast-acting medicinal effects.
Even today, some traditional Japanese people begin the day with two pickled plums and a cup of tea. British author and Japanese food authority Robbie Swinnerton compares umeboshi’s taste to the culinary equivalent of a cold shower. “The abrupt, searingly tart, tangy, salty taste jolts the eyes open, shakes the stomach awake, sandpapers off any staleness from the taste buds, and gets the day off to an unforgettable start.”
But besides their dramatic flavour, writes Swinnerton, “Japanese pickled plums have remarkable medicinal qualities. Their powerful acidity has a paradoxical alkalinizing effect on the body, neutralising fatigue, stimulating the digestion, and promoting the elimination of toxins. This is the Far Eastern equivalent to both aspirin and apple; not only is it a potent hangover remedy for mornings after; more than that, an umeboshi a day is regarded as the best preventive medicine available.”
Although particularly effective for all sorts of stomach disorders from hyper-acidity and indigestion to ulcers, umeboshi also increases endurance and stimulates the liver’s and kidneys’ function of dissolving and expelling toxins, thus purifying the blood. As every Japanese housewife learns at an early age, umeboshi’s powerful anti-bacterial properties make it very effective in preventing rice from spoiling. Ancient medical texts also credit umeboshi with preventing food poisoning. Umeboshi’s alkalinizing effect makes it a wonderful general tonic. Added to “soft rice” (rice cooked 7-10:1 with water until very soft), umeboshi is the Japanese cure-all for sick children.
Like many of Japan’s ancient medicinal foods, the origin of the pickled plum is obscure. One theory traces it to China, where a dried smoked plum, or ubai, was discovered in a tomb built over two thousand years ago.
The ubai is one of China’s oldest medicines and is still used for a variety of medical purposes such as counteracting nausea, reducing fevers, and controlling coughs.
The oldest Japanese record of pickled plums being used as a medicine is in a medical text written about one thousand years ago. Umeboshi were used to prevent fatigue, purify water, rid the body of toxins, and cure specific diseases such as dysentery, typhoid, and food poisoning. Slowly, extensive folklore developed about umeboshi’s ability to prevent and cure certain diseases.
During Japan’s furious samurai period, which lasted through most of the Middle Ages, the pickled plum was the soldier’s most important field ration. It was used to flavour foods such as rice and vegetables, and its high acidity made it an excellent water and food purifier, as well as an effective antidote for battle fatigue.
Traditional Production Process
Umeboshi are made by alternately soaking unripe Japanese ume in brine, then sun-drying and returning them to the brine. The pink colour of umeboshi is derived from red shiso leaves, which are pickled together with the ume. Red shiso (perilla) is a mineral-rich herb, particularly high in iron.
In addition to lending its beautiful colour, shiso adds its abundance of minerals to the high concentration of vitamin C and other virtues of the ume. Umeboshi is available in two forms: whole plums pickled with or without shiso leaves, and umeboshi purée, a convenient purée made from pitted umeboshi.
Although there are many natural producers of pickled plums in Japan, few use the year-long traditional process of Clearspring’s two suppliers: the Sogawa family and the Morisho family. Fewer still use organically grown plums and high-quality sea salt.
In fact, the umeboshi found in many Oriental food stores are made in just a few weeks using red dye, citric acids, and commercial salt. To be sure that you are buying the finest-quality pickled plums, check the ingredients on the label. Sogawa-style pickled plums are made with organic plums, organic shiso leaves, and sea salt.
Cooking with Ume
Umeboshi plums and purée are lively and versatile seasonings that add a pleasant tartness to salad dressings, cooked vegetables, and sauces. They are also commonly served in Japan as a condiment with rice, or tucked inside a rice ball wrapped with nori.
In summer enjoy thick cucumber rounds spread thinly with umeboshi purée. Sparingly spread on cooked sweet corn it is more healthy and just as delicious as butter and salt. Umeboshi also goes well with members of the cabbage family, including broccoli, kale, and cauliflower.
When using whole pickled plums, it is usually necessary to remove the pit and mince the flesh before adding it to recipes. Umeboshi purée can be substituted for umeboshi in virtually any recipe.
As mentioned above, umeboshi is also used as a home remedy that is especially effective for aiding digestion and eliminating toxins. Here is an example of such a remedy.
Kuzu Cream
Makes 1 cup
This is an effective rejuvenating tonic made with three powerful medicinal foods: umeboshi, kuzu and ginger. All three are known to aid digestion and circulation, and the citric acid in the umeboshi neutralizes lactic acid and eliminates it from the body. Lactic acid build-up in the body is thought to be related to numerous circulatory problems such as hardening of the arteries.
Kuzu cream is commonly recommended by macrobiotic health practitioners for colds, weak intestines, general body pains, stomach cramps, and diarrhoea, as well as for neutralising excess stomach acidity. It’s also a great preventive!
Kuzu Cream is most effective when taken about one hour before meals (preferably in the morning when the stomach is empty). The recipe below makes a thick cream. If a thinner cream is desired, reduce the amount of kuzu to 1 heaped teaspoon.
In a small enamel or non-metallic saucepan, thoroughly dissolve the kuzu in water. Add the umeboshi and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. As soon as the mixture begins to bubble around the edges, stir constantly until the kuzu thickens and becomes translucent. Gently simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove from heat. Add the ginger and soya sauce (if desired) to taste.
Miso apprentice John Belleme placing steamed rice on cooling table
Mature rice koji ready to be mixed with soy beans to make miso
Cooling developing koji at the Onozaki shop
Kaoru Onozaki measuring koji for overnight incubation in koji room
Koji incubating in koji room
Miso apprentice Jan Belleme adds the last 20 kilos of miso to a 4000 kilo vat
Jan and Takamichi Onozaki place rocks on a vat of miso
John harvesting 2 year miso from a fementation vat
Jan cleaning a wood vat in front of 300 year old Onozaki home
Like all our other miso producers, the Onozaki family, who make Clearspring Organic Barley Miso, use natural, time-honoured methods to create a deliciously wholesome food. Here, Japanese food experts John and Jan Belleme describe their first, memorable encounter with the Onozaki family, and detail the production methods that have remained unchanged for centuries.
Hoping to learn the art of making traditional miso, in the autumn of 1979, we set out to find a miso master with a big heart and a willingness to teach. With the help of Akiyoshi Kazama, president of Mitoku Company, we found such a man - Takamichi Onozaki. From his family shop located in a small village in rural Japan, Onozaki produced over 100 tons of organic barley and brown rice miso each year. This was a sizable amount, considering the simplicity of his equipment and size of his labour force. Our eight-month stay with the Onozaki family had a profound, positive influence on our lifestyle, health, and appreciation for traditional Japanese food and culture. The first few weeks in our new surroundings were overwhelming - a cultural vertigo. However, Mr. Onozaki’s faith and patience combined with our driving passion to learn his craft, helped ease our transition into this unfamiliar new world.
A long heritage
The Onozakis made - and still make - traditional miso; traditional in the sense that their basic production methods have been the same for generations. Although they had purchased some simple equipment to accommodate the ever-increasing demand for their product, the family’s methods for making koji (cultured grain used as a starter) and fermenting the miso were the same as those used by their ancestors.
Although we knew our apprenticeship would involve hard work and sacrifice, it was much more intense than we had anticipated. The hours were long and exhausting, and our bodies were often exposed to temperatures of extreme hot and cold. At first, it felt as if we were being stretched beyond our limits of endurance. Taking inventory of sore body parts became a morning ritual. But within a few months the Onozaki lifestyle - living under natural conditions with little heat and strong food - soon provided us with the strength and stamina we needed to continue.
Koji: the essential ingredient
Each weekly miso making cycle was almost exactly the same. First, the koji was made; then the soybeans were prepared. At the end of the week, the beans were mixed with koji, salt, and water, to start the fermentation process.
On the first day of the cycle, just under 700kg of pearled barley or lightly milled rice were washed and then left to soak overnight. In the morning, the grain was steamed, and then allowed to cool until it was just warm to the touch. Next, Aspergillus oryzae spores, called tane koji, were hand rubbed into the warm grain. Once inoculated, the grain was transferred to a long crib that was set in the middle of the koji room - a dark place with thick walls and a dirt floor. After being covered with four or five blankets, the inoculated grain was left to incubate overnight.
A labour of love
By morning, the grain had begun to ferment, and the almost 700kg mountain was held together loosely by the growing Aspergillus mould. The grains were then separated through a hand-rubbing process in which the cooler rice on the surface of the mound was mixed with the warmer rice from the bottom. Usually four people performed this step, bending over the low table, sliding their open hands over the warm rice or barley, and working in a rhythm. They started at one end of the mound in the early morning, and by the afternoon, they had worked their way to the other end. This timeless ritual offered an amazing sight - people huddled around the low table, working in silence over the steaming koji. With scarves covering their hair, the workers stopped only occasionally to comment on their progress or to wipe the perspiration from their faces. To our surprise, this job became a labor of love for us. We welcomed the ever-changing sweet smell of fermenting rice or barley, as well as the soothing warmth we felt when putting our cold hands into the warm grains on frosty winter mornings. Most of all, we derived much satisfaction from working with nature to produce a delicious, living food.
After the grain was mixed and separated, it was put in small wooden boxes that were placed around the walls of the koji room in “bricklap” stacks - an arrangement that encouraged proper air circulation. Temperature and humidity, both very important to good koji growth, were regulated by the opening and closing of ceiling vents throughout the night. By morning, the surface of the grains was covered with a fine delicate web of glistening threads. The koji was mature.
The main event
Attention then turned to preparing the beans. Nearly 700kg of hand-selected soybeans were washed, cooked, cooled, and crushed by late morning.
Then Takamichi-san’s wife, guided by years of experience, directed the mixing of the crushed beans with koji, salt, and water to make 50kg of unfermented or “raw” miso. Each 50kg batch was divided in four buckets and relayed to a person standing on a ladder atop a huge six-ton-capacity cedar vat. With a loud thud, the first few batches hit the bottom of the empty vat. Within two or three hours, the seven-foot-tall vat was almost full.
The slow fermentation process began almost immediately. Some miso masters added 5 to 10 percent of their mature miso - called seed miso - as a catalyst to start fermentation. Takamichi Onozaki did not; he relied on the bacteria already present in his 200-year-old vats. For generations, these bacteria had been naturally selected; they were strong and well adapted for miso fermentation. Aided by enzymes in the koji, the bacteria started the long, natural fermentation of the soybeans and rice. Proteins and oils were gradually digested and transformed into simple amino acids, fatty acids and simple sugars. As the miso darkened, a delicious, almost black liquid called tamari gathered in pools around the inside of the vat. The rapidly multiplying bacterial population, eager for a source of food to support its growing numbers, converted complex carbohydrates to maltose, glucose, ethyl alcohol, and organic acids, giving off a deep, rich aroma that filled the room.
Under the natural conditions of the open miso storage room, the fermentation rate adjusted to the changing seasons. Lying almost dormant in the winter, the bacteria were gradually awakened by the warmth of spring, and then stimulated into a frenzy in the heat of summer. Takamichi-san’s miso had the benefit of at least two summers.
Each day after work, we ate dinner together and then talked or studied for a few hours. We then took hot baths before settling into our futons. By 10:30, only the cats playing on the roof disturbed the tranquility of the darkened house. Like a mantra, the calming effects of our daily life gave us strength and peace of mind. It was a natural rhythm, a reflection of nature, like the slow rising and falling of breath during deep meditation.
Miso Heritage
As autumn turned to winter and the temperature of the unheated house dropped below 0°C, a heated table - the kotatsu - became the centre of our nightlife. It was on one such night toward the end of our stay, while huddled together on the living room floor, that Takamichi-san showed us his ancient family scroll. Beginning on the east coast of Japan around 1200 AD, it recorded the birth, life, and death of each first-born son of the Onozaki family, down to Takamichi-san’s father, who had died just two years earlier. In ancient script, it told of the family’s early farming existence, its gradual ascent to samurai lordship, and the continuous struggle to maintain its domain against overwhelming forces. A blank space, reserved for Takamichi-san, was at the far end of the scroll. Takamichi had no sons; he was the last Onozaki. This was, no doubt, on his mind as he shared this family treasure with us.
A month later, not long before we prepared to return to America with our new craft, Tamagachi-san presented us with a beautiful black-lacquered box that had a picture of his kin’s coat of arms on the lid. We believed it was his way of saying that he considered us a small, ongoing part of his family.
Rebecca Green takes a look at what Clearspring is really all about.
A selection of our favourite salad dressing recipes.
To prepare each recipe, simply blend the ingredients together, diluting with a little water as needed.
Orange Miso:
1tbsp Clearspring Hazelnut Oil or Clearspring Omega Oil or Clearspring Olive-Flax Oil
Rind and juice of half an orange
1tbsp Clearspring Sweet White Miso
Japanese Classic:
1tbsp Clearspring Sesame Oil
1tbsp Clearspring Soya Sauce or Clearspring Tamari Soya Sauce
2tbsp Clearspring Rice Mirin
2tbsp Clearspring Brown Rice Vinegar
Toasted Sesame and Ginger:
1tsp Clearspring Toasted Sesame Oil
1tbsp Clearspring Soya Sauce or Clearspring Tamari Soya Sauce
1-2 tsp juice squeezed from freshly grated ginger root
2tbsp Clearspring Malt Syrup, Clearspring Mikawa Mirin
Sweet Mustard Pickle:
1tbsp Clearspring Styrian Toasted Pumpkin Seed Oil or Clearspring Olive-Flax Oil or Clearspring Omega Oil
2 tbsp capers or chopped gherkin pickles
1tsp prepared mustard
2tbsp concentrated apple juice
Water
All Dressed Up:
1tbsp Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Clearspring Olive-Flax Oil or Clearspring Omega Oil
1/2 tsp Clearspring Umeboshi Puree
1 tbsp Clearspring Balsamic Vinegar or Clearspring Vintage Aged Balsamic Vinegar
1tsp Clearspring Sweet White Miso
2tbsp lightly roasted pine kernels
1/2 clove of fresh garlic
Tart and Tangy:
1tbsp Clearspring Soya Oil
2tbsp Clearspring Ume Plum Seasoning
2tbsp Clearspring Sweet White Miso
2tbsp Clearspring White Wine Vinegar or Clearspring Brown Rice Vinegar
Pinch of curry powder
This thick, rich, and satisfying pea soup is an all-time favourite.
Serves 6
Ingredients
500g split green peas
2-inch strip Clearspring Kombu (optional)
2 tsp Clearspring Sesame Oil or Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced into half moons
1 large carrot, diced
1 stick of celery, thinly sliced
2-3 pinches of sea salt
1 bay leaf
2tbsp minced fresh basil or 1/2 tsp dried basil
1/8 - 1/4 tsp ground celery seed (optional)
2 tbsp (or to taste) Clearspring Brown Rice Miso or Clearspring Barley Miso, dissolved in 2 tbsp water
Parsley sprigs to garnish
Method
1. Wash the split peas and combine them with 8 cups water in a large saucepan. If desired for flavour, add the kombu. Bring to a boil and skim any foam that rises to the surface, then lower the heat and simmer with the lid ajar until the peas are tender (1 to 1 1/4 hours). Check occasionally, adding more water as needed. (It generally takes about 10 cups of water total, but adding it all in the beginning might result in a thin soup.)
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and sauté the onion over a medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it is translucent. Add the carrot and celery and a small pinch of the salt and sauté for a few minutes more. Add a little water if necessary to prevent scorching, then cover, and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and uncover.
3. When the peas are tender, add the sautéed vegetables, the other pinch of salt and bay leaf, and simmer for a further 20 minutes. Add a little more water, if necessary, and stir frequently to prevent scorching. (If the bottom burns, carefully pour the soup into another pot without scraping the burned portion.) Add the herbs and miso then simmer for 2 minutes more. Garnish with the parsley sprigs and serve hot.
Simplicity and a flavourful stock are the beauty of this authentic recipe. Other vegetables may be added.
Serves 4
Ingredients
3-inch strip Clearspring Kombu
3 Clearspring Shiitake Mushrooms
1L (4 cups) cold water
1 block Clearspring Tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 salad onion, thinly sliced
2tbsp Clearspring Sweet White Miso
For garnish
Watercress sprigs and/or decorative carrot rings
Method
1. Place the kombu, shiitake and water in a saucepan and soak for at least 15 minutes. Heat over a medium flame and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove the kombu and shiitake and reserve for other use. (They can be sliced and cooked with beans or vegetables.)
2. Add the tofu and salad onion, and simmer for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.
3. Dilute the miso in a little broth, add to the soup, and allow to rest briefly before serving.
The amount of curry can be varied to taste in this colourful vegetable soup.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 tablespoon Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/2 medium onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 medium to large carrots, sliced
A large pinch of Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
600ml (2½ cups) water
400ml rice drink
2 teaspoons curry powder, or to taste
Pinch of black or white pepper, or to taste
2tbsp Clearspring Sweet White Miso
2tbsp finely grated raw carrot
For garnish
Parsley sprigs and/or croutons
Method
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and sauté the onion and garlic over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Add the carrots and salt and sauté for two minutes more.
2. Add the water and rice drink, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add the curry powder and pepper and simmer for 2 more minutes.
3. Add the miso and using a hand held blender puree until smooth. Stir in the grated carrots, and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat, serve and garnish.
This simple, wholesome and attractive dish is quick to prepare and the vegetables can be varied according to the season.
Serves 3
Ingredients
500ml (2 cups) water or unsalted stock
2-inch strip of Clearspring Kombu sea vegetable
2tbsp Clearspring Tamari Soya Sauce
1 bay leaf, broken into 2-3 pieces
A sprig of rosemary
1/2 large onion, cut into 6 wedges
3 carrots, cut into bite-sized chunks
1/4 head cabbage, cut into 3-4 wedges
12 whole button mushrooms
Several 1-inch-thick cubes of firm tofu
3 x 1-inch wedges butternut squash
12 broccoli florets
Method
1. In a large cast iron or stainless steel frying pan or casserole dish bring the water, kombu, tamari and herbs to a boil. Place the onion, carrots, cabbage, mushrooms and tofu in the pan, arranging them so each variety is separate and colours are balanced.
2. Cover and simmer 5 minutes, then add the squash and simmer until the vegetables are nearly tender (about 10 minutes more).
3. Add the broccoli and simmer until it is tender but still crisp (about 5 minutes). Uncover and serve immediately from the centre of the table.
Ginger and toasted sesame oil give this dish an authentic Asian flavour.
Serves 6
Ingredients
1½ L (6 cups) water
5 Clearspring Shiitake Mushrooms
2 slices peeled fresh ginger root
2 pinches of sea salt
½ cup thinly sliced carrots
1/3 cup diced red pepper or thinly sliced celery
1 bundle of Cleraspring Udon or Clearspring Brown Rice Udon
12 mangetout or flat pea pods, trimmed and diagonally cut into 2-3 pieces
2tsp Clearspring Shoyu Soya Sauce or Clearspring Tamari Soya Sauce
½ tsp Clearspring Toasted Sesame Oil
Method
1. In a pot, submerge the shiitake in water and soak for 2 hours or more. Remove from the soaking water, cut off and discard the stems, thinly slice the caps and return them to the soaking water. Add ginger to the shiitake stock and gently simmer 10 minutes. Remove and discard the ginger. Add the salt, carrots, red pepper or celery, and simmer 10 minutes.
2. While the soup is simmering, boil the noodles in another pot as directed on the pack. Rinse under cold running water, drain and chop into 2-inch lengths. Divide noodles among individual serving bowls.
3. To the simmering pot, add the peas and soya sauce and simmer a minute more. Add the sesame oil and remove from the heat. Ladle the hot soup over each bowl of noodles. Serve.
Tempura is a popular Japanese dish and this is the perfect dipping sauce to accompany it.
Serves 4-5
Dipping Sauce
350ml water or light vegetable stock
1-inch piece Clearspring Kombu
2 - 2½ tbsp Clearspring Shoyu Soya Sauce (to taste)
3tbsp Clearspring Mikawa Mirin
Side Dishes
Ginger root, finely grated
Mooli or salad radish, finely grated
Salad onions, finely cut
Method
1. To prepare the dipping sauce, combine the water or stock and the kombu in a small saucepan and bring just to a simmer, uncovered, over medium heat. Remove the kombu and reserve it for another use. Add the shoyu to taste and the mirin and gently simmer for 1 minute. Serve in individual small, shallow bowls.
2. Set out centrally on the table one dish for each of the grated ginger, grated radish, and cut salad onions, so they can be added to the individual dips to suit each person's tastes.
This quick and easy deep-fried delight makes a delicious brunch or dessert dish.
Makes 8
Ingredients
150g (1 1/4 bowls) white flour
50g (½ bowl) maize flour
2 tsp baking powder
A large pinch of Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
4½ tsp (45ml) Clearspring Sesame or Sunflower or Olive Oil
50g (1/4 bowl) dried apricots, cut into small pieces
50g (1/2 bowl) roasted walnuts
2½ tsp (60g) Clearspring Malt Syrup
325g (almost 1 jar) Clearspring Amazake
Water as needed
Method
1. In a bowl, mix the flours, baking powder and salt then rub in the oil.
2. Add the amazake, malt syrup, walnuts and apricots to make a smooth batter (adding some water as needed).
3. Oil the muffin tray and fill with the batter.
4. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (gas mark 5) then bake the muffins in the centre of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, covering after 20 minutes, if needed, with baking foil to maintain their golden colour. Test with a chopstick or skewer to check they are cooked.
Recipe by Ryorido
Makes 12
Ingredients
6 tbsp Clearspring Sesame or Sunflower Oil
4 tbsp Clearspring Amazake
2 tbsp Clearspring Malt Syrup
A large pinch of sea salt
50g (1/2 bowl) white flour
50g (1/2 bowl) ground almonds
50g (1/2 bowl) desiccated coconut
Some grated orange or tangerine rind
Clearspring Fruit Spread
Method
1. Mix all the dry ingredients together then rub in the oil.
2. Stir in the amazake and malt syrup.
3. Oil a baking tray and shape each macaroon onto the tray with a wet spoon and fork.
4. Make a hole in the top of each macaroon and fill with fruit spread.
5. Bake in the oven 25 to 30 minutes at 180°C (gas mark 5).
Recipe by Ryorido
This classic apple tart is a joy to look at, as well as to eat.
1 large tart
Ingredients
For pie crust:
150g (1 small bowl) white or brown soft flour
1 tsp (6g) baking powder
A small pinch of Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
3tbsp (25ml) Clearspring Sesame or Sunflower Oil
2tbsp (60g) Clearspring Malt Syrup
4tbsp (75g) Clearspring Amazake
For filling:
½ jar (185g) Clearspring Amazake
185ml (1/2 jar) water
A pinch of sea salt
1tbsp (4g) Clearspring Agar flakes
1tsp (6g) Clearspring kuzu
For fruit topping:
500g apples
50ml concentrated apple juice
150ml water
A pinch of Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
A small handful of currants (optional), washed and soaked
For glaze:
150ml (1 small bowl) water, or juice remaining from cooking the apples
1 tbsp (30g) Clearspring Malt Syrup
A pinch of Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
1 tbsp (4g) Clearspring Agar Flakes
1 tsp (6g) Clearspring Kuzu
Method
Pie Crust:
1. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt, then rub in the oil.
2. Add the malt syrup and just enough amazake to make a pliable dough.
3. Roll it out into a thin sheet, place in an oiled flan dish and make some holes in the bottom with a fork.
4. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 175 °C (gas mark 5).
Filling:
1. Add the amazake, water, salt and agar flakes to a saucepan and bring to a boil while stirring.
2. Lower the flame until the agar flakes have dissolved (about 5 minutes).
3. Dissolve the kuzu in a small amount of cold water, add to the hot liquid and stir until thick.
4. Spread this filling on the bottom of the cooked and cooled pie crust.
Fruit Topping:
1. Cut the apples into pieces.
2. Bring the water, concentrated apple juice and salt to a boil.
3. Blanch the apple pieces in this liquid for 1 or 2 minutes, then remove and arrange on the filling.
4. Scatter the washed and soaked currants on top (optional).
Glaze:
1. Bring the malt syrup, water, salt and agar flakes to a boil whilst stirring.
2. Lower the flame until the agar flakes have dissolved (about 5 minutes).
3. Dissolve the kuzu in a small amount of cold water, add to the hot liquid and stir until thick.
4. Pour this glaze over the fruit topping.
Recipe by Ryorido
An authentic recipe from Clearspring's Dutch amazake producer.
7 slices
A light, but satisfying dairy-free dessert for serving all year round.
A tasty tonic to stimulate the circulation and create a warm, relaxed feeling.
A delightful, dairy-free sauce for serving on puddings, cakes, pies and muffins.
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tbsp (10g) ground almonds
½ jar (190g) Clearspring Amazake
2 tbsp (60g) Clearspring Malt Syrup
A few drops of vanilla essence
300ml (3/4 jar) water
1 tsp Clearspring Kuzu
A pinch of Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
Method
1.Mix all the ingredients, except the kuzu, in a saucepan and bring to a boil whilst stirring.
2.Dissolve the kuzu in a little cold water then add to the hot liquid and stir until thick.
Recipe by Ryorido
This thick, sweet sauce makes a delicious topping for puddings, cakes and muffins.
Sogawa family
Ume blossom at Ryujin
Discussing quality
Clearspring ;
Yoshiaki Sakurai checking Clearspring's air-dried soba
Mr. Sakurai's field of buckwheat in Iwate Prefecture, Japan
A soba-making machine
The classic Japanese miso soup.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1.5 litres Clearspring Kombu and three dried shiitake or maitake mushrooms in about 2 litres of water for at least 15 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, and thinly slice the caps. Then return them to the water, bring it to the boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove the kombu and keep it to use for cooking as a condiment or with beans.
">dashi (see below) or shiitake soaking water (see below)
4 Clearspring Shiitake or Maitake mushrooms, soaked and thinly sliced
150g chopped kale, or spring greens
1 large carrot, thinly sliced on the diagonal
3-4 tablespoons Clearspring Barley, Hatcho or Brown Rice Miso, to taste
Method:
1. Bring the liquid and mushrooms to a boil in a medium sized pan, then lower the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Add the greens and carrot and simmer until they are tender. Turn off the heat.
3. In a bowl, dilute the miso in a little bit of broth, then add it to the soup. Allow the flavour to mingle briefly before serving.
Dashi:
To prepare a basic dashi, soak two 15cm pieces of Clearspring Kombu and three dried shiitake or maitake mushrooms in about 2 litres of water for at least 15 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, and thinly slice the caps. Then return them to the water, bring it to the boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove the kombu and keep it to use for cooking as a condiment or with beans.
Cooking with Shiitake:
Cover the mushrooms in lukewarm water for at least 30 minutes. Once rehydrated, remove and discard any stems and thinly slice the caps. Use with their soaking water for superb soups, stews and sauces, or add the sliced mushrooms to stir-fries, fried rice or noodles, or casseroles.
Tip: Try adding a sprinkling of Clearspring's Instant Wakame Flakes just before serving.
Recipe from The Real Taste of Japan
A delicious thick topping for fruit and other desserts.
Makes about 3 cups
Ingredients
250ml apple juice
1/4 - 1/3 jar Clearspring Malt Syrup, to taste
250 - 400g sliced pitted soft fruit e.g. apricots, peaces, nectarines, cherries
2 tbsp Clearspring Kuzu
A pinch of Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
Method
1. Mix the juice, malt syrup, and pinch of sea salt in a saucepan. Adjust the amout of syrup you're using depending on the sweetness or tartness of the fruit.
2. If you're using large fruit like nectarines, cut it into bite-sized pieces. If the fruit you're using is fairly firm, add it to the pan and bring to a simmer, uncovered, over a medium heat for a couple of minutes. Delicate, tender fruits won't need to be cooked, so leave them in your seving bowl until later.
3. Thoroughly dissolve the kuzu in 2 tablespoons cool water and add to the pan while stirring it quickly. Cook on a medium to low heat and stir constantly until the mixture gets back up to a simmer and thickens.
4. If you're using fruit that doesn't need cooking, pour the hot liquid over it at this stage. Mix gently and once it's cooled down, put it in the fridge. If the fruit's already mixed in, simply pour the contents of the pan into the serving bowl, leave to cool and put it in the fridge. The custard will thicken as it cools.
Recipe from The Real Taste of Japan
The combination of land and sea vegetables makes for a great salad.
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 handfuls of mixed salad leaves
1 handful of red salad leaves
6-8 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 carrot, sliced thinly into rounds
1 handful of green beans
1 handful of Clearspring Sea Salad
Fresh basil leaves for garnish
For dressing
2 tbsp capers
4 tbsp tofu mayonnaise
1-2 tbsp apple juice concentrate
Method
1. Boil the green beans for 2-3 minutes. Rinse under cold water and drain.
2. Combine with all the other vegetables in a serving bowl and sprinkle to taste with a generous amound of Sea Salad.
3. Blend the dressing ingredients adding a small amount of water if needed to obtain the right consistency.
4. Add the dressing to the salad. toss, garnish and serve with your favourite bread.
Slightly spicy dulse sea vegetable gives a pleasing lift to this salad.
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 handfuls of mixed colourful salad leaves
1/2 cucumber cut into half rounds
4 radishes cut into quarters
1/2 cup Clearspring Dulse
A few black olives
1/2 cup cooked sweetcorn kernels
For dressing
1 tbsp Clearspring Sweet White Miso
1 tsp Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Clearspring Safflower Oil
1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard
1 tsp apple juice concentrate or Clearspring Brown Rice Vinegar
1 tbsp orange zest
Water to give desired consistency
Method
1. Mix all the salad ingredients in a serving bowl.
2. Soak the Dulse for 2 minutes , cut with scissors into pieces and add to the salad.
3. Blend the dressing ingredients and serve with the salad.
This rich fruit jelly dessert is vegetarian and goes easy on the sweeteners.
Serves 3
Ingredients
2 tbsp Clearspring Agar Flakes
3-4 apples peeled, cored and cut into medium chunks
Strawberries, 1 punnet (approx. 2 cups / 225g), washed and cut into halves
1 1/2 cups fruit juice
For seasonings
A pinch of Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
1 tbsp grated orange rind
Clearspring Malt Syrup to taste
For garnish
Desiccated coconut flakes or chopped roasted nuts (optional)
Method
1. Place the fruit juice, agar-agar flakes and apples, with a pinch of sea salt into a cooking pot. Bring to a boil and gently simmer for 10-15 minutes.
2. Add malt syrup to taste, the strawberries and the grated orange rind. Mix well but gently.
3. Place the dessert in a glass serving bowl, leave to cool until set, then garnish and serve.
White miso seasoning gives this dish a sweet lightness that may be enjoyed all year round.
Serves 3
Ingredients
3 strips of Clearspring Wakame (about 5g)
3 Clearspring Shiitake Mushrooms, soaked for 15-20 minutes (retain water) and finely sliced
2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
3 sweet potatoes peeled and cut into thick half rounds
3 carrots, washed and cut into thin rounds
2 bay leaves
1 fennel, washed and cut into thick slices, or some celery stalks
Seasonings:
Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbsp Clearspring Sweet White Miso
A pinch of Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
Fresh ginger juice to taste (from grated and squeezed ginger root)
Method
1. Sauté the quartered onions in a pan with some olive oil and a pinch of sea salt for 3-4 minutes.
2. Briefly rinse the wakame under cold water, cut with scissors into medium pieces and place it in a cooking pot with the shiitake soaking water (to just cover the sea vegetable).
3. Add the rest of the vegetables, the bay leaves and the shiitake to the pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Add the sweet white miso and fresh ginger juice, simmer for a further 5 minutes and serve.
Step 2
Step 4
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Step 6
Try two kinds of classic vegetarian Japanese rolled sushi - begin with our simple yet delicious 'norimaki', and then progress to our slightly more challenging but great-looking inside-out sushi rolls.
Makes 4 Rolls (24 pieces)
Ingredients
230g Clearspring Sushi Rice (cooked and seasoned with Clearspring Sushi Rice Seasoning - click here for method)
1/2 cucumber (cut into fine strips)*
2 sheets Clearspring Sushi Nori
2 tsp Clearspring Umeboshi Puree
Clearspring Sushi Mat
*Pepper, carrot or other fillings of your choice can also be used.
Method
1. Make the sushi rice and mix with sushi vinegar (click here for method)
2. Place the Sushi Nori with the shiny side down on the mat.
Spread half the rice evenly over the nori, leaving 1cm clear
at the top.
3. Make a small hollow along the centre of the rice, spread
the Umeboshi Purée and lay on the fillings.
4. Begin rolling the mat from the near edge, keeping the filling in place with your fingers. Roll firmly but do not press so hard that the rice comes out of the sides.
5. Once you have formed the roll with the mat, pull out the far end whilst holding the front rolled end, to form the roll more tightly.
6. Remove the roll from the mat and cut into 6 pieces with a wet knife, using a steady sawing motion. Repeat with the other sheets of
nori.
You can create variety in your sushi by using other fillings.
The avocado miso dip here is a guaranteed winner!
Serves 3
Ingredients
1 corn on the cob, boiled for 10 minutes, and cut into medium sized rounds
1 bunch of asparagus, discarding the tough ends
2-3 courgettes, cut lengthwise (sprinkled with a pinch of sea salt and left to sit for a few minutes, rinsed under cold water and dried)
1/2 pack of cooked beetroot, cut into thick slices.
10 mushrooms, halved or quartered
Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Clearspring Shoyu Soya Sauce or Clearspring Tamari Soya Sauce
For dip
1 avocado peeled
Juice of 1/2 lemon,
1 tbsp Clearspring Sweet White Miso
1/2 tsp Clearspring Umeboshi Puree
1tbsp Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 garlic clove crushed (optional)
Method
1. Pan fry each vegetable separately for a few minutes with some olive oil and a few drops of shoyu or tamari soya sauce, until soft.
2. Combine and blend the dip ingredients, adding some water to give the desired consistency.
3. Arrange all the vegetables in a large serving dish and serve while hot with the dip.
Dulse and Wakame sea vegetables add appeal to this colourful salad.
Serves 3
Ingredients
1/3 cup Clearspring Dulse, soaked for 1 minute and cut into bite-sized pieces (optional)
2 strips of Clearspring Wakame, soaked for 4-5 minutes, and cut into bite-sized pieces
Mixed crunchy salad leaves, washed
1/2 cucumber, finely sliced
1 red pepper (baked or grilled, peeled, washed and cut into fine strips)
For vinaigrette
2tbsp lightly roasted walnuts
1tsp prepared mustard
1tbsp Clearspring Soya Sauce or Clearspring Tamari Soya Sauce
1tsp Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive or Walnut Oil
1 tbsp Clearspring Vinegar
1 tbsp Clearspring Malt Syrup sweetener
Method
1. Mix and place the salad ingredients in a large serving bowl.
2. Grind the lightly roasted walnuts into a paste using a pestle and mortar. Add the remaining vinaigrette ingredients to taste. Add a small amount of water to give the desired consistency.
3. Mix in the dressing, toss and serve.
Vary the vegetables in this stir-fry depending on what you have available.
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 pack (250g) Clearspring Soba or Clearspring Udon Noodles
2 onions (cut in half moons)
1 carrot, cut into fine matchstick size pieces
Half a head of broccoli (2 cups), cut into small florets
1 cup finely shredded white cabbage
2 tbsp sweetcorn
Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive Oil for stir fry
For garnishes
2 tbsp black olives or capers
Finely chopped spring onions
For seasonings
1tsp Clearspring Toasted Sesame Oil
2tbsp Clearspring Shoyu Soya Sauce or Clearspring Tamari Soya Sauce
2tbsp Clearspring Rice Mirin
2tbsp fresh ginger juice (grated and squeezed from whole root)
A pinch of Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt
Method
1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add the noodles. Cook at medium heat, uncovered, until done. Rinse under cold water and drain.
2. Sauté the onions uncovered with some olive oil and a pinch of sea salt, for 10 minutes. Add the carrots, cabbage and corn, cover and cook on a medium heat for 7-10 minutes.
3. Boil the broccoli separately for 3-4 minutes. Rinse under cold water and drain.
4. Add the cooked pasta to the sautéed vegetables, together with the rest of the seasonings to taste.
5. Add the broccoli and garnishes. Serve.
These vegetable kebabs come with a tasty Far Eastern dressing.
Serves 2
Ingredients
For brochettes
2 onions, quartered
2 courgettes, cut into medium rounds
1 carrot, cut into thin rounds
1 corn on the cob, boiled for 10 minutes with a pinch sea salt, and cut into medium rounds
6 cherry tomatoes
Pitted black olives
Fresh rosemary, a few sprigs
For dressing
1tbsp Clearspring Toasted Sesame Oil
1 1/2tbsp Clearspring Barley Miso or Clearspring Brown Rice Miso
2tbsp Clearspring Rice Mirin or Clearspring Mikawa Mirin
Method
1. Place the vegetables and olives neatly on wooden skewers.
2. Blend the dressing ingredients, adding a very small amount of water to give a thick but pourable consistency.
3. Place skewers in parcels made of ovenproof paper or baking foil. Pour the dressing over the vegetables. Place some fresh rosemary sprigs (optional) inside each parcel then close tightly.
4. Bake in a preheated 200 C oven till soft (20-25 minutes). Serve with extra dressing.
A rich tasting and dairy-free delight.
Serves 1-2
Ingredients
1 apple peeled, cored and cut into four rings
2-3 tbsp arrowroot powder
Clearspring Sunflower Frying Oil for frying
For batter
1/3 cup white or sifted wholewheat flour
1tbsp arrowroot
A pinch sea salt
A pinch of cinnamon powder
Sparkling or still water
For sauce
Carob spread or bar
1 tsp grated orange rind (optional)
Water or rice drink
For garnish
Roasted chopped hazelnuts
Fresh strawberries
Method
1. Mix the batter dry ingredients in a bowl then carefully add in a small amount of water to give a thick cream-like consistency. Refrigerate for half an hour.
2. Meanwhile prepare the sauce by heating carob spread diluted with a little water or rice drink until you have a consistency you can pour. If using bars, carefully heat and melt with a little hot water or rice drink.
3. Heat half an inch of oil in a frying pan being careful not to let it smoke.
4. Dust each apple ring with some arrowroot powder, then dip into the chilled batter and fry in the hot oil until crunchy and golden colour (approx. 2 minutes each side).
5. Drain each apple ring on a paper towel to remove any excess oil. Serve immediately with the hot carob sauce garnished with the hazelnuts and strawberries.
This pasta salad is refreshingly cool, and quite sustaining.
Serves 2-3
Ingredients
1 cup cooked pasta of your choice
A pinch of sea salt
1 cucumber finely sliced
8-10 radishes finely sliced
1 handful of Clearspring Dulse (optional), soaked for
1-2 minutes then cut in pieces
For dressing
2tbsp capers
1tbsp Clearspring Styrian Toasted Pumpkin Seed, Hazelnut, Walnut or Omega Oil
1tsp prepared mustard
2tbsp concentrated apple juice
Water
For garnish
Freshly chopped mint leaves
Method
1. Place the cooked pasta and cut vegetables in a large serving dish. Add the optional soaked dulse sea vegetable.
2. Prepare the dressing by blending the ingredients together, if necessary adding a small amount of water to obtain the right consistency.
3. Garnish the salad with the mint. Serve the dressing separately.
The vegetables look stunning and the orange, ginger dressing is a treat.
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 carrots, cut into medium sized matchsticks
1/2 swede, cut into medium sized matchsticks
1 cup mangetout or snow peas
1/2 Chinese cabbage cut into large pieces
1-2 tbsp lightly roasted pecans
For seasonings
A pinch of Clearsprin Traditional Sea salt
1tbsp Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1tsp Clearspring Toasted Sesame Oil
2tbsp Clearspring Shoyu Soya Sauce or Clearspring Tamari Soya Sauce
1tbsp grated orange rind
2tsp juice squeezed from freshly grated ginger root
Method
1. Bring a medium sized pot of water to the boil, add a pinch of sea salt and the carrots and the peas. Boil uncovered for 2-3 minutes, then rinse under cold water and drain well.
2. Boil the swede for 5-6 minutes, rinse under cold water and drain.
3. Heat a large frying pan or wok, add the olive oil, the Chinese cabbage and a pinch of sea salt. Sauté uncovered for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the boiled vegetables, sauté for 1-2 minutes and season with the toasted sesame oil, soya sauce, ginger juice, orange rind and pecans. Serve immediately.
Tofu and white miso make this colourful, nourishing dish ideal for all seasons.
Serves 2-3
This wonderfully refreshing salad is enhanced by the distinctive colour and taste of arame.
Serves 3-4Shiitake are one of the East's most exotic and delicious foods, with a subtle woody taste that adds gourmet flair to almost any dish.
The roll-and-cut method is what make noodles so unique.
Clearspring noodles are air-dryed using traditional methods.
Quick to cook, delicious tasting and easily digested, Clearspring ;
During the 18 years he lived in Japan, Clearspring's founder Christopher Dawson became an expert on ;
Clearspring malt syrups have a rich, mellow taste, and a milder sweetness than that of sugar, honey or maple syrup.
As a result they are less likely to overpower the taste of other foods and can be used to sweeten hot drinks and baked foods, as well as to top breads, cakes, pancakes and desserts.
Traditional Malting
Clearspring's delicious range of ;
Production begins with whole fresh organic fruit
Clearspring Founder Christopher Dawson with some of the raw material about to be turned into 100% Organic Fruit Purée.
This pulp is what remains after the purée has been extracted.
The finished purée is packaged and boxed ready for dispatch.
The finished product
Apple & Mango and Apple & Cranberry
Learn how to make really easy sorbets
You will be surprised by the full, fresh flavour of Clearspring ;
Clearspring Snack ;
Clearspring Snack ;
Clearspring Snack ;
Clearspring Snack ;
Landgarten's Herbert Stava.
Kerstin in the organic soya bean field at Landgarten.
Batch roasting soyabeans at Landgarten for Clearspring Organic Snacks.
Packing soya
The roasted nuts and seeds are carefully packed in specially designed packaging which preserve them
Clearspring organic snacks are produced in Austria by Landgarten, a fully integrated company who works on a local scale promoting sustainable farming and producing healthy seed snacks.
The company
Landgarten is run by Herbert Stava and Kerstin Varga from a small farm in the village of Bruck/Leitha, on the rich soils of eastern Austria. Herbert and Kerstin grow their own organic soya beans, and have their pumpkin and sunflower seeds grown on contract by local organic farmers.
The seed varieties Landgarten grows are specially selected for their exceptional flavour, their rich nutritional properties and their suitability to the local organic growing conditions.
At their new purpose-built factory on the farm, powered by local wind turbines, Herbert and Kerstin's soya beans and seeds are salted using brine before being lightly roasted in small batches at a low temperature to draw out their flavour.
Landgarten's unique combination of organic growing skills with special roasting and packing expertise give Clearspring roasted seed snacks the freshest taste available. Maybe that's why they keep winning taste awards.
The roasting of seeds
The roasting machine at Landgarten, Clearspring's snack producer, is specially designed to optimise the health and nutritional benefits of organic seeds. It uses a hot air system to heat small batches at the lowest possible temperature and to avoid any scorching on hot metal surfaces. Uniquely, for this type of roasting, it also keeps the combustion gases completely separate from the product thereby avoiding the formation of PAHs.
PAHs - Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - are organic compounds formed as a result of incomplete combustion of fossil fuels. Car exhausts and cigarette smoke are common sources of PAHs which are known to cause cancer. Seed roasting machines also typically will allow some combustion gases to make contact with the foods which is why Herbert at Landgarten was keen to design his own machine.
After roasting, Landgarten ensures that the fresh flavour and full nutrition of their organic seeds and soya beans are fully preserved. Together with the Austrian Research Institute Landgarten has developed special handling and packing techniques that minimise air contact with the product to ensure that Clearspring organic seed snacks remain fresh tasting right through their packaged life.
www.landgarten.at
Clearspring's Snack ;
Recipe idea: Vegetable Brochettes "Papillot Style"
Recipe idea: Split Pea Soup
Recipe idea: Miso Soup
Recipe idea: Kyoto-style White Miso Soup
Pan Fried Vegetables with Avocado Miso Dip
Clearspring ;
Clearspring ;
For vinegar with an incomparable mellow sweetness, there is none better than Clearspring ;
Clearspring ;
Mantova, the home of Acetifcio Mengazzoli
Cellar manager, Mario Nicoletti and Dr. Maurizio Rasini, quality controller, sampling Balsamic Vinegar.
Mengazzoli vinegar ageing
Members of Mengazzoli staff, including Elda Mengazzoli (right) with barrels of maturing vinegar.
A sample of Mengazzoli's red wine vinegar.
The Mengazzoli family of Levata de Curtatone produce Clearspring organic Italian vinegars by the traditional method of slow fermentation in wooden kegs.
Some years ago when Clearspring's founder Christopher Dawson set out to find the finest Italian vinegars, he searched far and wide for a traditional acetificio that still followed time-honoured processes and used certified organic ingredients.
When he met the Mengazzoli family, based near the historical city of Mantova in Lombardy, he knew his search was over. Cesare and Elda Mengazzoli have for years been making classic wine vinegars using local grapes at Levata di Curtatone near Mantova, and at Modena producing the finest balsamic vinegars.
Many wine vinegars nowadays are made using a ‘rapid’ method, whereby the fermentation process is mechanically induced in a stainless steel container, and takes only a few hours. Those made by Mengazolli for Clearspring, however, have a slow, traditional method dating back centuries, which results in a vastly superior and more characterful product.
To make Clearspring wine vinegars, the Mengazolli family first carefully select special dry and aromatic wine whose taste and fragrance is strong enough to hold up through the vinegar making process. Then they slowly percolate this wine, drip by drip, through wood chips and grape bundles to slowly develop its acidity.
There are no attempts to speed up the process by artificial means, and it takes at least six months. As our friends at Mengazzoli put it, it’s as though the acetobacter bacteria are relaxing leisurely by the pool, sipping cocktails and topping up their tans. The result is a superior wine vinegar with a deep, fully rounded flavour.
When the required acidity is reached they careful draw off the vinegar for ageing in barrels of bay oak and larch wood whose subtle aromas gently support rather than overpower the delicate flavour of their vinegar.
When it comes to Clearspring balsamic vinegars, especially the exclusive Vintage Aged Balsamic variety, the barrels in which the mixture of wine vinegar and simmered grape juice is matured are of particular importance.
The barrels used by Mengazolli are made from bay oak and larch wood, which imparts a subtle but not overpowering aroma to the vinegar. They are also impregnated with grape musts containing the bacteria required for the creation of vinegar, which also impart a unique character to the mixture.
The barrels are not filled completely, and are left unsealed to allow the oxygen essential to the fermentation process to enter freely, with the aperture being protected by a piece of cloth. The entire process can take several years in the case of the Vintage Aged Balsamic variety. Because musts and vinegars of different ages are mixed in the barrels to attain the perfect blend, it is therefore not possible to give an exact vintage or length of aging on the bottle.
According to Mengazzoli, one of the characteristics of a good quality vinegar is its volatility. Unlike some other balsamic vinegar producers, Mengazzoli do not use chemical intervention, for example the addition of sulphur dioxide, to cease the maturation process. For this reason, variations in colour, consistency and taste are sometimes discernable.
Rather than being viewed as a flaw, however, this is seen as a sign of individuality and character, and the hallmark of a quality vinegar. Before bottling, the vinegar is filtered one more time, stabilising it and thus helping to maintain its characteristic flavour and aroma.
www.mengazzoli.it
Clearspring traditional Italian vinegars are ;
Clearspring ;
The delicate nutty aroma and flavour of Clearspring ;
Clearspring ;
Cucumber Pasta Salad with Caper and Mint Dressing
Harvesting Styrian Pumpkin Seeds
Dark, full-bodied Clearspring ;
The rich nutty aroma and flavour of Clearspring ;
Thanks to its abundance of antioxidants, Clearspring ;
Mild tasting Clearspring ;
The rich flavour and strong colour of Clearspring ;
The hot, dry summers and mild, moist winters of southern Italy ensure that Clearspring ;
Clearspring ;
Clearspring ;
Clearspring organic, cold pressed, unrefined oils retain the full omega and vitamin E nutrition of the parent seed.
Find out the specific nutritional information for each Clearspring oil, along with the maximum heating temperature recommended to retain each oil's nutrition from the PDF below.
Shopping for culinary oils can be confusing because what looks golden and appealing in a clear bottle may turn out to be flavourless and lacking in nutrition.
Organically grown and produced
Make sure that the seeds, nuts or fruits that will be pressed to make your oil are grown without chemicals using agricultural methods that are sustainable and not harmful to the environment.
First cold-pressed
Most conventionally produced oils today are extracted at high temperature using chemical solvents. Cold-pressed oils are oils which are produced using a simple mechanical method without added heat. Heat treatment may increase the yield of the oil, but it also has a negative effect on the flavour and nutritional properties of the oil. Clearspring oils are all first cold pressed.
Unrefined
After pressing, traditional oils undergo simple filtering which removes sediment, they are then bottled. On the other hand, ordinary oils are refined at high temperature using chemical solvents, before undergoing further bleaching, refining and deodorising processes.
Please note that our sunflower frying oil is gently steamed-washed to allow the oil to be cooked at higher temperatures without a strong odour, so, it cannot be called "unrefined" but rest assured, it has not gone through any solvent extraction.
Dark bottle
Whereas solvent extracted, refined oils are more stable and can be bottles in clear glass bottle, cold-pressed oils need dark glass (green, brown or dark blue) to protect them from oxidising.
Good flavour and aroma
Good oils should taste fresh and delicious. For some oils like extra virgin olive oil, you should be able to recognise a good one by just smelling it. If you have the chance, try comparing them at markets, or at tastings.
Nutritional facts
The distinct disadvantage of solvent extraction in that all the flavour and most of the nutrition of the original oil seed is removed during the production process.
So read the labels and choose the oil that is best for you; you might want to look at the unsaturated fat content, the Omega 3, 6 and 9 balance, or the vitamin E content.
Find out about the nutritional values of Clearspring Oils here.
Intended use
You may manage to choose the best quality oil of all, but not knowing how to use it can spoil all that time and care! Companies that care about the oils indicate the optimum cooking temperature for their product. For example Clearspring Omega Blend is only suitable for salads whereas Clearspring Sunflower frying oil can undergo high temperatures and is ideal for frying purposes. For Clearspring oils cooking instructions, either check the bottle label or click here.
Special Olive Oil
Olive oil is amongst the best known and appreciated culinary oils. The designation of olive oil on labels is strictly defined and labels cannot use any type of wording when describing an olive oil.
- Extra-virgin olive oil: comes from cold pressing of the olives. There can be no refined oil in extra-virgin olive oil.
- Virgin olive oil: has an acidity less than 2%, and is judged to have a good taste. There can be no refined oil in virgin olive oil.
- Pure olive oil: oils labelled as pure olive oil or olive oil are usually a blend of refined olive oil and one of the above two categories of virgin olive oil.
- Olive oil: blend of virgin oil and refined oil, containing no more than 1.5% acidity. It commonly lacks a strong flavour.
Clearspring ;
The distinctive nutty flavour and aroma of Clearspring Toasted Sesame Oil brings a defining Asian taste to everyday cooking.
Salad Dressings
Red shiso herb used to flavour and colour Clearspring Ume Plum Seasoning
It is the juice from the pickling of umeboshi, salt-pickled plums, and is popular in Japan.
It is produced in Kyusyu, Japan's Southern island, using a traditional method of ageing in partly buired earthware crocks. ;
This award winning Teriyaki Sauce is ideal for basting and glazing, and adding a deliciously sweet yet savoury flavour to stir fries, roasts, barbecues, grilles and marinages. It is prepared according to a traditional Japanese recipe using our own Soya Sauce and other high quality ingredients - without added sugar. Perfect ingredient for BBQ.
It is made to an original Japanese recipe and contains key ingredients of sushi making. Simply add this well balanced blend of ;
This is a rare treat - a double strength, wheat and ;
Fourth generation brewery president, Yoshio Aoki, with his son.
Checking the quality of Clearspring Organic Tamari during ageing.
Photo by Michael Boyny
River washed stones used to top each keg of tamari.
Photo by Michael Boyny
Testing Clearspring Organic Shoyu soya sauce
From the full-bodied richness of soya sauce to the gentle tartness of rice vinegar, the taste of each Clearspring Japanese seasoning is both distinctive and delightful.
Clearspring Japanese seasonings flavour superbly when used alone, and when combined they can create the most delicious dips, dressings and sauces for a wide range of Asian, Western and fusion dishes.
Clearspring Mu Tea is a delicious caffeine-free blend of sixteen invigorating and soothing oriental herbs.
It contains mandarin orange peel, liquorice root, Japanese ginseng, cinnamon and other exotic oriental herbs that combine to create a sweet tasting, spicy and aromatic blend.
Japanese Green Tea - Sencha -
This light and refreshing tea is prepared in Kyoto from the season's first tender young leaves harvested at their peak of flavour in late spring. The leaves are briefly steam, rolled and cooled by the special Japanese Sencha process. Then immediately packed to seal in their fresh taste and aroma.
Japanese Roasted Green Tea - Hojicha -
This smoky and calming tea is prepared in Kyoto from select green tea leaves that are steamed and then gently roasted. As the leaves are left to grow longer than for Sencha Green Tea, they have a lower caffeine content. It is the most popular everyday drink in Japan.
Available in
Tea bush flower at Nagata Chaen
Staff at Nagata Chaen sort the freshly picked leaves
Tea bushes at Nagata Chaen
Koukichi Nagata, owner of Nagata Chaen, Kyoto.
The Nagata family picking green tea for Clearspring.
Tea picking at Clearspring's producer, Nagata Chaen, Kyoto.
The exceptional flavour of Clearspring Japanese teas comes from careful ;
Clearspring imports top quality, traditionally brewed sake directly from producers in Japan.
