Last week I wrote on the role of stomach acid, and why it’s so important to our digestive health— without proper stomach acid levels, we put ourselves at risk of chronic digestive diseases, as well as exacerbating depressive and anxiety symptoms. (*if you haven’t read it, and you’re curious to learn more read about it here)
Growing more conscious of my eating habits and how it’s impacting my digestive health, I decided to put in more effort incorporating ways to add fermented food to my diet to aid healthy digestion. Although pickles or kombucha are popular ways, I decided to do something a bit different— by adding katsuo flakes!
I recently made hayashi rice, a type of Japanese stew, and topped my rice with katsuo flakes. A meal with lots of whole foods vegetables, it’s a hearty and filling dish that’s perfect for the cold season.
What are katsuo flakes?
Katsuo translates to bonito fish in Japanese. Bonito are medium-sized fish, with moderate fat content. Bonito can’t be farm-raised, and are usually fished in the Atlantic Ocean or Mediterranean sea. It’s the popular fish of choice in the Mediterranean, a diet that is well-known for promoting longevity in humans. (Source: National Center for Biotechnology Information)
Katsuo flakes are made by first boiling and then drying the lean parts of the fish. They are then smoked for up to a month, about 12 sessions with each session lasting 5-6 hours. They are then fermented with a Aspergillus glaucus culture for about 2 weeks, where they are then shaved into flakes to top salads, soups, or rice.
Why it’s great:
Fermented foods are great for aiding digestive health because they are rich in probiotics that help diversify the bacteria in our microbiome. The fermentation process creates helpful digestive enzymes that break down the food we eat and make nutrient absorption easier.
There’s also developing research on how fermentation may aid weight maintenance, so there’s another reason to add gut-healthy microbes into your diet! Healthy individuals tend to have a more diverse gut microbiota because their body can properly absorb and extract necessary nutrients from food— on the flip side, those that struggle with weight may find that they lack gut bacteria diversity, which is causing malabsorption, sending signals to the brain that they need to consume more, thereby increasing body weight (Source: National Center for Biotechnology Information)
Fermentation is a food preparation process that has existed internationally for centuries, and Japan is no exception. Used in traditional ancient Japanese cooking, katsuo flakes are a staple in most Japanese households— they’re incredibly easy to add to most Japanese dishes, as their umami-rich flavor complements soy-sauce and sake-based dishes. Because it’s a topping, you can add it to almost anything you want, such as soups, salads, or rice dishes.
Dried katsuo is also a great source of calcium, vitamin B12, iron, niacin, and contains all essential amino acids. Niacin is especially helpful because it plays an important role in carbohydrate metabolic function and energy production!
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If you found this article useful, or would like more tips on how to address your own health concerns, send me a message at kokumura@kakikata.space! I reply to all emails, and I love hearing from my readers!
