Peanut Sesame Noodle Salad

The Art of Flavour

Taste is the ability to respond to dissolved molecules and ions called tastants. Humans detect taste with taste receptor cells. These are clustered in taste buds. Each taste bud has a pore that opens out to the surface of the tongue enabling molecules and ions taken into the mouth to reach the receptor cells inside. There are five primary taste sensations:

1) SALTINESS Add a salty flavour to your food by using natural Celtic, Himalayan, and sea salts, but go easy on the portions. Even natural salts are not actually that good for us. You can also use nama shoyu (raw soy sauce), garlic “salt,” sun-dried tomatoes, and celery. Saltiness brings out all the other flavours to balance, especially anything sweet, so adding a dash to your chocolate recipes is a good thing.

2) SWEETNESS Sweetness balances the salty taste in your uncooking. Raw honey may be the first sweet flavour that comes to mind, but you can also use agave syrup, plain old fruit, maple syrup, dates and other dried fruits such as figs and apricots. Keep in mind that honey is not vegan, and maple syrup is not really raw. Both are better than refined sugar, however, and are packed with minerals and vitamins.

3) SOURNESS Balance salty and sweet flavours with a sour taste. A recipe containing these three flavours will provide great balance. For a sour taste use citrus juices, tamarind, raspberries, cranberries, pickles, tomatoes, rejuvelacs, and vinegars.

In general if your recipe has a good balance of the 3 flavors above, it is going to taste yummy!

4) BITTERNESS Generally speaking, bitterness is not desirable in large quantities, but it so happens that bitter foods and herbs can be quite healthy. They can also be tasty in the right quantity. Green tea and Okinawan goya (bitter gourd) are a case in point.

5) UMAMI Umami is a taste found naturally in seaweeds and is the response to salts of glutamic acid, like monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavor enhancer used in many processed foods and in many Asian dishes. This stuff is definitely to be avoided, as is アミノ酸 (aminosan) found in far too many processed foods in Japan.

OTHER ASEPTS INFLUENCING FLAVOUR

A) AROMA Aromatics refer to the sense of smell, not taste, but they are closely related and influence each other. Aroma adds depth to flavours. Here are some aromatic ingredients to use in your uncooking: onions, garlic, shallots, leeks, celery, sweet peppers, ginger or galangal, citrus zest, kaffir lime leaves, and lemongrass. Aromatic herbs include parsley, rosemary, thyme, oregano, mint, etc. (fresh herbs are definitely better in the raw food context!) Aromas tend to come out far more when heating food, but do indeed apply to raw food preparation. Hot peppers and such like those listed below are also aromatic.

B) SPICINESS (HEAT) Spices add a combination of the above flavours, but also add different levels of heat, if not at least a “bite." Add dry spicy ingredients before marinating to balance the flavours better. Use oil to bring out the taste of dried herbs and spices. Items that add heat include black pepper, curries, chilis, cayenne, hot paprika, cumin, raw garlic, wasabi, cloves, tumeric, coriandar, mustards, etc.

C) CREAMINESS This is more of a texture than taste, but if all the spice is getting to be too much, a little nut mylk or kream can do wonders. No wonder so many hot Asian curries have coconut milk in them!

Too spicy? Add some sweetness or creaminess
Too sweet? Add some sour or spiciness
Too sour? Add sweet
Too bland? Add salt or some spiciness
Too salty? Add sour
Just needs a spark? Add acid or one of the aromatics added at the end of cooking, or just a touch of heat (spiciness)
Too harsh? Try just a touch of sweetness

July 16th, 2010

Cathrine-Mette (Trine) Mork

This is my modification of a cooked recipe from Julie Hasson – truly delicious, and perfect for a potluck, lunch or part of an Asian-style dinner.

Ingredients:

3-4 zucchinis
1/2 cup smooth raw peanut butter
6 tbsp nama shoyu (raw soy sauce)
1/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 to 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
3 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp sesame oil
5 tbsp agave syrup
1 tsp chili powder, or to taste
2 cups thinly shredded purple cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup chopped cilantro
4 scallions, thinly sliced
4 tbsp raw sesame seeds

Directions:

Spiralize the zucchini into noodles and set aside in a large bowl. In a large blender jar, add the peanut butter, soy sauce, water, ginger, garlic, vinegar, sesame oil, agave syrup and chili powder. Blend until smooth and creamy. This might take a few minutes – you may have to scrape down the sticky peanut butter on the side of the jar. Pour peanut sauce over noodles, tossing so that noodles are well coated with sauce. Add shredded cabbage, carrots, cilantro, scallions and sesame seeds, tossing until mixed. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve. You can easily eat this the next day, but the sauce will get sticky, changing the texture of the meal (though thankfully not the taste!).

Posted in Dips, Spreads, & Pâtés, Dressings & Sauces, Salads

Tags: agave, apple cider vinegar, carrots, chili powder, coriander leaves/cilantro, garlic, ginger, nama shoyu/soy sauce, peanut butter, red cabbage, sesame oil, sesame seeds, zucchini

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View Comments to “Peanut Sesame Noodle Salad”

Susan says:

July 17, 2010 at 1:32 am

Curious as to where you find raw peanut butter…are you making your own from raw peanuts?
yokaokojo says:

July 17, 2010 at 1:59 am

Hi there, Susan! The best option is indeed to make your own. Buy some quality raw peanuts and blend them using a high speed blender like a Vitamix or a Blendtec. Not everyone is lucky enough to have one of these babies though, as they are very expensive. Actually, after killing 3 blenders in the course of only a year, I recently broke down and bought a Vitamix. I am paying for it in monthly installments – here in Japan in cost me the equivalent of about 800 dollars!! For me, it is definitely the best machine I have ever bought, and I have no regrets.

That said, I do buy my own raw peanut butter. You can buy it online at many stores based in the US and Canada, most of which now have international shipping. Go to my squidoo lens at http://www.squidoo.com/rawfoodstores to find a selection. They all sell raw peanut butter, I think. You might consider raw almond butter, too. Almonds are the only nut which are not acidic, as far as I know, hence a lot better for you in that regard (we are supposed to eat a mostly alkaline diet for optimal health). You probably already know all of this, but maybe it is of use to other readers.

Best of luck!

fast & easy raw vegan delights – deliciously healthy!

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