3 Unusual Foods You’ve Likely Never Heard of and Need to Try

In this ingredient roundup we’re bringing you some unusual foods from across the globe.

With our capacity for international travel limited right now we’re bringing the world to you. If you’re looking for a new food experience, look no further than the Rosswood General Store.

We’re pleased to bring you obscure and premium products from across the globe. Today’s round-up comes all the way from Japan.

The Japanese are well known for their long life expectancy as a result of a healthy diet. That’s because Japanese cuisine is largely fresh and unprocessed, and incorporates foods with lots of healthy phytonutrients and sea minerals.

Here are three Japanese foods that might be strange to you but certainly worthy of exploration.

Natto

This sticky, stringy fermented soybean dish is an unusual one for people outside of Japan. While it may be hard to wrap your nose around, it’s packed full of protein and vitamins and other beneficial plant compounds. Among them is K2, which is extremely beneficial in preventing osteoporosis and heart disease. Try it served over rice with a little bit of soy sauce and chopped green onions.

Nigari

Nigari is a mineral supplement extracted from seawater during the production of salt. It’s particularly rich in magnesium chloride and trace minerals necessary for optimal health and nutrition. This exotic sounding ingredient is characteristically known for it’s more bitter-salty taste and can be used to enrich the flavour and texture of many dishes. You might even try a drop in your sourdough bread! It also blends exceptionally well with soy (eh hem, tofu). Make your own tofu with this recipe on the Salt Blog.

Inarizushi-no-moto

Who knew this little can could pack so much goodness? Inside you’ll find deep fried tofu pouches called aburaage made from soybean. They are often used to wrap inarizushi as the name implies. Or you could stuff them with Natto, add it to miso soup or saute it with some bok choy. Lots of options and best of all soybeans are an excellent source of plant based protein, packed full of vitamins and minerals and laden with fibre.

And there you have it. Not your typical finds at a northern grocer but, as always, we aim to surprise and delight! For the unexpected, visit the Rosswood General Store.