Tag: superfood

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Nettle in the Sushi

18 June International Sushi Day

International Sushi Day celebrates this potentially delicious meal and seeks to raise awareness about the truths and fictions surrounding it. Sushi had changed from a way to preserve fish to a new form of cuisine. But this wasn’t the last stage in the food’s evolution.

It was in between 1600 and 1800 AD in Japan, that the traditional form of sushi we know today came to exist. At this point it was unique to Japanese culture and consisted of fish and vegetables wrapped in rice, that was mixed with vinegar. This form of sushi had regional variations, but the basic idea is still one of the most popular forms of sushi today.

Making your own sushi is always fun, isn’t it? It is not going to taste anywhere near the standard of a proper sushi chef, but worth a try. Enjoy Sushi Day with your friends today!

Nettle and algae are a combination of elemental force. It is not common at all, using nettle in sushi, but sounds like a promising experiment.

Let’s see how to make an easy sushi inspired nettle-nori superfood…

Ingredients:

  • 200 g cashew
  • 300 ml water
  • a small bunch of parsley
  • 3 tbsp dried nettle seed
  • 1-2 tsp tamari
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 2 nori plate
  • 1-2 tsp tamari or wasabi to taste

Preparation:

  1. Soak cashew nuts in water for 2 to 3 hours, drain and rinse. Put them in a blender with parsley, nettle seeds, tamari and salt and process until creamy.
  2. Spread the mixture evenly on a nori plate. Place a second sheet of algae on top and press lightly (and evenly) with a board. Put the whole thing in the dehydrator and let it dry for 8 hours or overnight at 42 ° C.
  3. Then cut it even to rhombus shape and serve with tamari or wasabi as a sophisticated nettle superfood snack.
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An Underrated Superfood: Nettle Seed

Most people have tried nettle soup – a foraging classic – and nettle leaf tea is widely available. However, the use of nettle seed is still fairly uncommon, though it is the king of superfoods!

As the days lengthen, the female nettle produces little flowers quickly followed by green seeds, from the upper third of the plant. Over the summer the seeds ripen and thicken. They are harvested when still green before they start to dry out and turn brown. Nettle seed is crunchy and full of oil high in polyunsaturated fatty acids – linolenic, palmitic, oleic and stearic acids. Our bodies use linoleic and linolenic acids to make the important essential fatty acids omega 3 and omega 6.

A component of lecithin vital to liver function is found in nettle seed called choline. Choline is sometimes used to treat liver cirrhosis and hepatitis. Studies have also shown that it is indeed anti-inflammatory and will soothe colitis (inflammation of the colon).

Nettle seed tastes delicious. You can substitute poppy seed in crackers, oatcakes, bread with nettle seeds or you can sprinkle them with chopped nuts into salads. Mixing them into yoghurt, a smoothie or adding them to overnight oats is also worth trying. Don’t put nettle seeds into juices because they float and are hard to drink. Instead, mix with honey and make into protein snack bars. This is another delicious way of eating nettle seeds. Try seasoning your soup with nettle seeds by adding them on the top. 

Crush the seeds in a pestle and mortar, then infuse them in sunflower or olive oil at room temperature for a week. This green oil makes a nice healthy salad oil or can be used with essential oils as an anti-inflammatory liniment for arthritic joints.

They will give you an energy boost and help to put you in a cheerful mood. Nettle seeds also raise dopamine levels, which is a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain’s reward system and pleasure center. Dopamine facilitates learning, motivation and movement. 

For stimulating health benefits, take 1 to 2 spoons of fresh green or dried nettle seed a day (a standard heaped tablespoon is about 5 grams). Great help for invigoration of the body!

You can learn more about nettle seed here.