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Introduction: Japanese Craftsmanship

Japanese culture is renowned for its precision, attention to detail, and dedication to the craft. This devotion to craft can be seen in a variety of Japanese art forms, including pottery, textiles, and woodworking. However, it is also evident in the country’s cuisine, which is renowned for its aesthetic beauty and attention to detail. Japanese restaurants worldwide often feature exquisitely presented dishes, showcasing the Japanese art and culture of meticulous craftsmanship.

The Art of Presentation in Japanese Cuisine

Presentation is an essential aspect of Japanese cuisine, with dishes often being arranged in an aesthetically pleasing manner. This art of presentation is known as “ikebana,” which is the Japanese art of flower arrangement. Ikebana emphasizes minimalism, simplicity, and asymmetry to create a beautiful and harmonious arrangement. In Japanese cuisine, this same aesthetic is applied to the presentation of food. Every dish is presented in an artistic and visually pleasing manner, with great attention paid to color, texture, and form.

The Use of Seasonal Ingredients

Japanese cuisine emphasizes the use of seasonal ingredients, which are chosen for their freshness and quality. This practice is known as “shun,” which means “seasonality” in Japanese. By using seasonal ingredients, Japanese chefs can create dishes that are not only fresh and delicious but also healthy and nutritious. This emphasis on seasonality can be seen in a variety of Japanese dishes, including sushi, sashimi, and tempura.

The Importance of Texture in Japanese Dishes

Texture plays a crucial role in Japanese cuisine, with a variety of textures being used to create a balanced and harmonious dish. This emphasis on texture is known as “kireaji,” which means “a sense of crispness” in Japanese. Some of the textures that are commonly used in Japanese cuisine include crispy, chewy, crunchy, and silky. By using a variety of textures, Japanese chefs can create a dish that is not only visually appealing but also satisfying to eat.

The Precision of Knife Skills in Japanese Cooking

Japanese cuisine is known for its precision, and this is especially true when it comes to knife skills. Japanese chefs are trained to use a variety of knives for different purposes, and they must develop the skill and precision to use them correctly. These knives are often handcrafted and are designed to be razor-sharp, allowing chefs to slice and dice ingredients with great precision. This precision is essential in creating Japanese dishes, which often require intricate and delicate preparation.

The Role of Tradition and Ritual in Japanese Food Culture

Japanese food culture is deeply rooted in tradition and ritual, with many dishes having a long and storied history. This tradition and ritual can be seen in a variety of Japanese dishes, including sushi, ramen, and udon. Many Japanese dishes are prepared using traditional techniques that have been passed down through generations, and these techniques are often accompanied by specific rituals and customs. This emphasis on tradition and ritual is an essential aspect of Japanese food culture and is one of the things that makes it so unique and special.

Many products that we would classify as vegetarian contain animal ingredients, hidden as abbreviations in the fine print. Vegetarians and vegans should carefully study the ingredients of these products!

Carefully studying the ingredient list of ready meals and highly processed products is a must for vegetarians and vegans. Because animal ingredients are often hidden in apparently vegetarian products, as our list shows.

Fruit gum does not only contain gelatine

Gummy bears and Co. often contain gelatine – no secret for vegetarians and vegans. But there can be even more in red gummy bears: carmine is the name of the red dye obtained from scale insects. If you do not want to eat animal products, you should look out for the abbreviation “E120” in the list of ingredients of a product – behind it hides a carmine. Since the production of the red dye is quite complex, carmine is being produced more and more synthetically; At the moment, however, the following still applies: Keep your eyes open when buying products that draw attention to themselves with their beautiful red color. Dairy products, juices, and of course a lot of other sweets can also contain carmine.

Cheese: rennet from calves’ stomachs

A specific mixture of enzymes, rennet, is needed for the milk to curdle and make cheese. What many people don’t know is that rennet is traditionally obtained from the stomachs of young calves. To do this, the gastric mucosa is chopped up and the necessary enzymes are chemically extracted.

The good news: only 35 percent of cheese worldwide is still made with natural rennet (source: Vegetarian Association). As an alternative, enzymes from molds are used. Unfortunately, the cheese packaging does not state whether the rennet is natural or synthetic. A prominent example of a cheese that is still made from calf rennet is the Parmigiano Reggiano or Parmesan. Vegetarians will find Parmesan substitutes under the name “hard cheese”, for example, Alnatura’s “Montello”. If you want to be sure, ask the manufacturer directly.

Chips: lactose and a lot of undeclared

Many crisps not only contain lactose, but also a whole lot of animal products. A large chip producer told the organization Foodwatch that large parts of its range contain animal ingredients, depending on the variety, game, fish, poultry, beef, or pork. This does not have to be stated in the list of ingredients. Because if animal components are used as carriers for flavors and vitamins in the food, they, unfortunately, do not have to be declared under current law.

Peta made a list of vegan kibbles which you can check out here.

Baked goods: Supple thanks to L-cysteine ​​from bristles and feathers

To make flour easier to knead, the addition of L-cysteine ​​is often used in the bakery. This amino acid, which bears the abbreviation E 920, is made from pig bristles and bird feathers. According to current German law, E 920 must be declared on the packaging of baked goods. However, this case law is interpreted differently: “Wissensforum Backwaren e.V. comes to the conclusion that the addition of L-cysteine ​​in flour on packaged bread is not subject to labeling,” says the website www.lebensmittelklarheit.de. The labeling obligation does not apply to rolls sold loose anyway. Vegetarians and vegans, therefore, have to ask their trusted baker. Fortunately, quite a few chains now have vegan bread and vegan rolls on offer.

Wine and vinegar

It is now known that gelatine or proteins from the fish bladder are used in wine production. This method is also used for balsamic vinegar. However, many winegrowers now rely on vegetable proteins to clarify their wines. Vinegar can also be filtered through bentonite, silica, or fine filter paper, for example. Unfortunately, a reference to gelatine as a filtering agent on the packaging is not mandatory. If you are unsure whether a dash of vinegar is vegan or not, it is worth asking the manufacturer directly.

Smoke detectors are an important protective measure. But in which rooms do you have to attach them and what do you have to consider?

Where do you put smoke detectors?

Smoke detectors must be installed in the children’s rooms, bedrooms and in the corridors that serve as escape routes.

What do you have to look out for with smoke detectors?

Where the smoke detectors are attached is well regulated, but there are also a few things to consider when attaching them:
You should always place the devices in the middle of the room, as the smoke that is produced will always rise and spread to the ceiling. The air collects in the corners and does not disperse, so smoke detectors should under no circumstances be installed in corners.
Furthermore, you should install a smoke detector in every area of ​​larger rooms from 60 square meters so that you can really be warned of the alarm in good time.
When assembling, follow the operating instructions exactly and do not place the devices near air ducts or strong drafts. Even that can be a false alarm
If you want to paint your ceiling, then under no circumstances paint over the smoke detector, as this may mean that not enough smoke can get into the device and the alarm will not be triggered in an emergency.

Finally, it is important to test smoke detectors regularly. There is a test button that only gives an alarm when it is pressed. When you release the button, the alarm stops immediately. It is best to test your devices immediately after installation and then once a year. Then you can go to sleep with peace of mind.

Mold is a common phenomenon in apartments and houses: many people struggle with mold, especially in the bathroom. However, you can easily fight this.

This is how mold develops in the bathroom: causes

If you discover mold in the bathroom, this can have many different causes. In general, walls, joints, the shower and the ceiling in the bathroom are particularly susceptible to mold growth. The reason for this is that the bathroom is classified as a so-called damp room: in contrast to the other rooms, the air here becomes particularly damp due to showering or bathing.

Especially in the bathroom, hot water often runs for a long period of time. The damp, heated air condenses on the colder tiles in the bathroom; consequently, the condensate sticks to them. Even if the tiles are waterproof, the joints, walls and ceilings are usually not. The moisture can stay here for a long time.

Possibly insufficient ventilation can also contribute to mold development: the amount of moisture cannot be balanced, so the humidity is ideal for mold development. To compensate, the bathroom can often not be heated continuously. In this way, the moisture is not sufficiently removed and offers the mold an ideal breeding ground.

Classification of mold as a hazard

Mold should not be taken lightly: it can lead to serious respiratory problems or even allergies, especially for people who do not have a strong immune system. Red and watery eyes and a runny nose can be symptoms. The type and strength of the mold are decisive for its health risk character.

The most common types are black mold, red mold, yellow mold, and green mold. All types of mold require immediate action: they can develop toxins and thus damage your health. In the worst case, inhaled mold pores can lodge in the lungs and cause deadly infections; for this, however, the mold must be very concentrated and the immune system must be very strongly suppressed. Smaller amounts of mold are basically not a health problem for people with a healthy immune system.

In general, we are constantly exposed to a minimal amount of mold spores in nature. This is because molds also occur in nature. Whether allergies have developed from indoor mold or from nature can often not be determined with certainty.

Here’s how to remove mold

If you discover mold very early on, you can usually remove these traces yourself. It is important that you always wear gloves, a breathing mask and safety goggles when removing: This protects you from the vapors of the cleaning agents and the fungal spores. An affected area of ​​30 to 40 cm2 is classified as “low infestation”. You should then dispose of any rags you use: this is the only way to prevent the spores from spreading. If textiles such as towels are also affected by the mold, you should also dispose of them immediately.

A special mold cleaner* can help with the first traces of mold on silicone joints or on the walls, corners and ceiling. You can buy this online or in stores. Alternatively, the joints can also be cleaned with 80 percent alcohol, which you can get in the pharmacy.

On smooth surfaces, such as in the shower, you can use vinegar or baking soda as home remedies. Vinegar Essence* can be easily applied to the spot if there is superficial mold growth. Baking soda can also be mixed with a little baking soda and water. Once you have reached a mushy consistency, you can gently rub this paste onto the affected areas with a toothbrush. This should effectively remove the mold traces.

Beware of black mold or large-scale mold infestation: the mold has often already penetrated deep into the joints. In this case, be sure to contact experts. Only a specialist mold remediation company can then remove the seals and sanitize the bathroom as much as necessary to keep you safe and curb the spread of mold.

The question of costs: Who pays?

If you live in a rented apartment, you must also report the mold to the landlord. After all, it’s possible that the problem isn’t yours at all: the ventilation options or heating options for the bathroom might not be optimal. It may also be necessary to install an exhaust system. This should definitely be done in consultation with the landlord.

If you haven’t adequately prevented mold, for example by insufficient heating or ventilation in the bathroom despite optimal possibilities, then the fault lies with you. If a dispute arises between you and the landlord, an independent expert can also be consulted to investigate the cause of the mold growth.

If external influences, i.e. the basic structural requirements, are the reason for the formation of mold, the landlord is obliged to pay the appraiser and the damage caused by the mold. If the fault is actually yours, you have to pay it yourself.

Prevent mold in the bathroom

In order for the climate in the bathroom to level off in such a way that it is difficult for mold to form, the window must be opened after the shower and the room must also be ventilated regularly and several times a day outside of the shower. The most effective way of doing this is so-called shock ventilation, i.e. a window that is completely open for several minutes, which ensures intensive ventilation.

In the shower, hair or soap residue provide an organic breeding ground for mold. To avoid this, you should clean the shower regularly. You should also clean the joints and tiles thoroughly and at regular intervals so that the mold cannot develop.

It is also a good idea to wipe dry corners or joints with a cloth after showering or bathing. If you have a heater in the bathroom, it should be set so that the optimum temperature of around 21°-23°C can be maintained and the damp areas can dry well. This is especially important in winter.

Ideally, the humidity should not exceed 60 percent; you can also check this with an appropriate measuring device*. If the humidity is above the ideal value despite heating and regular ventilation, you can also buy a dehumidifier* or an electric fan to help.

Everything that lives must die. But how can you prepare for the inevitable?

What is to be settled?

With every second that passes, the moment of death draws nearer. You suppress it, don’t want to admit it. And yet it is inevitable. Perhaps a visit to the doctor will make you realize the fact that your lifetime is coming to an end. At least now you will realize that life is finite. But can you really prepare for your death?

First of all, it is important to regulate certain things. What happens after death? Is everything settled? Here is a 7-point plan:
Store documents clearly: insurance policies, family book, bank documents and also a list of passwords for online banking, social networks or other online accounts.
Make a will: notary public or handwritten. If handwritten, this should be placed with the documents or officially stored.
Appoint an executor: This means a person who implements the will.
State your funeral preferences: How would you like to be buried?
Declare Pet Inheritance: If you have a pet, who should take care of it after death?
Bequeath objects during your lifetime: It is best to decide who should get what in a discussion group.

The last will

You don’t think about it when you’re young. But when you die, you leave something behind. This often leads to arguments. A will can help with that. It may make sense to write it earlier in life. There are a few things to keep in mind. First of all, it does not necessarily have to be written by a notary, you can write it yourself. But you have to follow certain rules here. And what are the advantages and disadvantages?

The handwritten will
can be written alone. No other person is necessary.
can be written anytime, anywhere. It will not be charged.
can be kept at home or kept at the district court (approx. €75.00).
can be changed, destroyed or revoked at any time.
may be unclear or even invalid because it was written by a layperson.
can be lost, not found or counterfeited.

The notarial will:
Legal advice and legally secure preparation by a notary.
An appointment with the notary is necessary.
The document is officially stored.
A change can be made by a notary. A revocation occurs through withdrawal from official custody.
There are notary fees for the creation and modification.
Official custody ensures that the will is found and not forged.
Married couples can draw up a joint will for inheritance.
Most often, couples with children choose the so-called Berlin will: According to this, the longer surviving inherited everything. Only after his death do the children inherit.
If the testator is very wealthy, the Berlin will can have tax disadvantages.

How do you prepare yourself for death?

But how can you mentally adjust to death? It doesn’t matter if you got a message about the approaching end.

Accept that you will die. It’s useless to quarrel with fate. You may think it’s unfair, especially when you get the news that you may not have much longer to live. You must come to the realization that everyone dies. Ultimately, there is nothing unfair about that.
Use your time. Think about what you really want. Go to places you want to see, meet people you love. Is it really important to work even more overtime just to buy yourself things you don’t need?
Eliminate misunderstandings. Remember, this may be the last time you’ll see someone. Forgive all those who have wronged you. Ask forgiveness from anyone you may have hurt.
enjoy It can always be the last meal, the last coffee, the last whiskey. Experience it consciously.
When you lie down to sleep, know that you may not wake up the next morning. reflect on your day. were you happy with it Close your eyes, breathe consciously. Smell, feel the linens, listen to the sounds of the night. And when you wake up, be happy about it. Don’t think about what awaits you that day. Imagine you are born again. take the moment
The world you wake up in will not last forever. Enjoy her. In everything she has to offer you. If you buy a new book, read it consciously. A new pen? It may be that today is the last time you will use it. Appreciate the people and things around you. Everything is impermanent.
Death comes to us all. We can’t stop it, but we can influence whether it frightens us or is ultimately what it’s supposed to be: the end of a life.

no garden? You can also plant potatoes on the balcony. We’ll tell you how to do it!

Potatoes for the balcony – the preparation

If you want to grow potatoes on your balcony, success starts with the preparation. It is best to use ripe potatoes for planting. It’s best to buy seed or seed potatoes from a gardening store. For planting on the balcony, let them pre-germinate in a box in a dark, cool place. This can already be done in March and takes about four weeks.

The right location is important. Potatoes like it warm and light. But make sure that they are not directly in the midday sun. Use vegetable soil or regular garden soil that you have mixed with some compost for the potatoes. So your plants have enough nutrients. Your potatoes also need enough water and space: Potatoes want to spread and always need a lot of water. The soil should not dry out.

Plant bag, bucket or tub: you need that

If you have prepared everything and the sprouted potatoes are ready, you can almost start. But first you have to decide whether you prefer to work with plant bags, buckets or tubs:
Plant sacks: You can buy special plant sacks in specialist shops, but you can also use plastic sacks made from strong PVC fabric. Even rice or jute sacks are suitable for planting potatoes.
Buckets: Buckets or closed tubs are also suitable as long as they are large enough. In order for you to be able to harvest enough potatoes, your container should definitely have a volume of ten liters and a height of about 40 centimeters.
Pots: As with the plant bags, you can also get plant pots from a gardening store. Here you need dark-walled plastic buckets that are as high as possible so that the soil is warmed up well by the sun’s rays.
It is important, no matter which planter you choose in the end, that you ensure sufficient drainage. Potatoes do not tolerate waterlogging, which is why an additional drainage layer made of gravel is worthwhile. For drainage, you can equip your planters with a hole or some slits before filling. Then the water can drain well.

Growing potatoes on the balcony: Here’s how

With the right equipment, you can now plant your own potatoes step by step:
First fill the drainage layer in your planter (think of suitable holes or slots beforehand).
Now you fill in a 15 centimeter high layer of soil that has been enriched with sufficient nutrients.
Now you can spread the seed potatoes evenly over the soil. About four potatoes per pot. Fill in enough soil to just cover the tubers.
Keep everything moist.
After about 14 days, the potatoes are already 15 centimeters high. If the plants have reached a height of 30 centimeters, you can refill 15 centimeters of soil. After that, you can add soil twice more at intervals of 10 to 14 days. This will cause your plants to form more tubers and new shoots further up the shoots.
After about three to four months, the first potatoes are ready to be harvested. At the latest when you watch the leaves of the plants wither, it is time to harvest. Potatoes can usually be harvested from May to October, depending on when and how they were planted. Simply empty your planter. Then you can enjoy your first own balcony potatoes.

It doesn’t matter whether the cooking oil is running low in the supermarket, you don’t have any more at home or you simply want to do without oil: With the help of a few tips, frying can be done without any oil at all.

This is how you succeed in frying without oil

If you don’t have any oil at home, you can’t find any in the supermarket or you just want to do without it, the question arises: How do you fry without oil? There are different possibilities. With some methods, however, you have to reckon with the disadvantage that the aroma can change slightly because the fat is no longer used as a flavor carrier.

So that nothing burns, it is first of all important to use the right pan. Coated pans are usually made in such a way that the food in them does not burn over low to medium heat; even if you don’t use oil.

Alternatively, you can also use mineral water for frying. It is important that you choose water with as much carbonation as possible and replace the oil in a ratio of 1:1. Proceed as if you were using oil: Before you put the food to be fried in the pan, heat the water slightly. Once the water has evaporated, you can add another small sip.

More methods of frying without oil

Another way to fry without oil, but without skipping the fat, is to use butter or margarine. To avoid burning the butter or margarine, you should only heat it over a low heat. In order to also pay attention to environmental aspects, it is advisable to use a plant-based margarine with plant material from regional cultivation. In comparison, butter has a very energy-intensive production process behind it and comes off worse in the ecological balance.

To fry at higher temperatures without oil, you can use parchment paper. It makes sense to cut the baking paper to the size of the pan and only then fry the vegetables or something similar in it. However, since the baking paper can only be used a few times before it crumbles, it is more sustainable from an ecological point of view to use permanent roasting foils. These can be washed off and can be an ideal replacement for a pan coating.

It is up to you which method you use. You can also try different methods and then decide which one works best for you.

In fact, everyone knows that arsenic is poisonous. But did you know that the toxin is also found in rice? In this article you will find out what dangers the substance poses to children.

How does arsenic get into rice?

Arsenic is a metalloid that occurs naturally in the ground – more or less often depending on geological conditions. Types of grain, including rice plants, absorb arsenic compounds through their roots. These get into the fruit via the metabolism.

Rice is grown in flooded fields because it thrives best in wet, humid conditions. More arsenic ends up in the rice plants via the water than in other cereals that are cultivated dry.

How much arsenic ends up on the consumer’s plate depends not only on the regional soil conditions, but also on the processing of the rice grains. Because the arsenic settles in particular on the edge of the grains.

How much arsenic does rice contain?

Consumers cannot see how much arsenic the purchased rice contains. According to the BfR, the amount of rice that an adult can eat without causing health problems has not yet been researched.

According to the Federal Institute, the average amounts of arsenic in white rice are between 0.1 and 0.2 milligrams per kilogram. Brown, so-called natural rice, contains more inorganic arsenic because the outer layers are largely removed from white rice. Higher amounts than in white rice were also measured in rice cakes and rice flakes.

Is that why children are not allowed to eat rice?

The BfR assessment, according to which it is not very likely that the consumption of rice leads to health risks, applies to all age groups: adults, the elderly as well as children and infants.

Nevertheless, the BfR recommends parents not to feed their infants and small children exclusively with rice-based drinks or complementary foods such as rice porridge. According to the experts, products such as rice cakes should also vary with snacks without rice.

In addition, the BfR points out that rice-based baby food does not meet the needs of infants anyway due to the unsuitable nutrient composition.

Does washing rice help?

It is difficult to wash out the arsenic compounds from finished products such as rice porridge or rice snacks.

For rice itself, the BfR recommends washing it in plenty of water and boiling it immediately before consumption. In the case of rice with small amounts of arsenic, some of this can migrate into the water.
The cooking water should be poured off immediately after cooking.

Arsenic-free rice coming soon?

In a study published in spring, a Chinese research team, including scientists from the University of Heidelberg, succeeded in finding a travel plant that defies dangerous arsenic.

The researchers exposed over 4,000 rice varieties to arsenic-containing water and observed their growth. Only one of the examined plants with the name “astol1” proved to be tolerant to the toxic metalloid.

The plant develops the amino acid cysteine, which is an important element for the plant’s own development of phytochelatins. These substances have a detoxifying effect and are formed by plants in response to pollutants. The neutralized arsenic is stored in the roots of the plant before it reaches the rice grains and can become dangerous to humans. Scientists consider this plant particularly suitable for agricultural use.

Green pesto is always a real treat! You shouldn’t heat the paste – otherwise the taste could suffer. Green pesto in particular is considered to be particularly susceptible.

Heating green pesto: what exactly happens?

To explain the phenomenon in more detail, you need to take a look at the composition of basil. Like many plants, this contains chlorophyll, which among other things gives the herb its green color.

As the Center for Health writes, chlorophyll is not considered to be particularly heat-resistant. As the scientific magazine Spektrum explains, this is related to polyphenols, which, in combination with enzymes, oxidize under the influence of heat and thus also ensure the characteristic browning of green plants.

Green beans have a reputation for being a very healthy protein bomb. But under certain circumstances, the delicious garden vegetables are poisonous. Even the Bavarian consumer advice center warns.

Why green beans are poisonous

Unlike most vegetables, green beans cannot be eaten raw. They owe this fact to a specific component of the bean: phasin. The toxic molecule is a protein compound that, according to the Bavarian consumer advice center, is found in many types of fruit and vegetables. In comparison, however, raw beans contain a particularly large amount of phasin.

Phasin is actually a substance that is supposed to protect the beans. Plants have a variety of natural defense mechanisms against predators. Some rely on spikes, for example, while others prefer toxic substances. Even though green beans have been cultivated for centuries, they still contain their natural defenses.

The different defense mechanisms of plants do not all work in the same way. Beans and their phasin cause red blood cells to stick together and thus impede the transport of oxygen in the blood. In addition, phasin damages the epithelial cells in the intestine and thus disrupts the absorption of nutrients.

What does eating raw beans do?

The phasin thus hits sensitive areas in the body and can cause significant reactions. However, the reaction to the poison depends on the amount consumed. Eating some raw beans can cause mild stomach upset, intestinal inflammation, headaches, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea

Consuming large amounts of raw beans can also lead to death. According to the Bavarian Consumer Center, the first symptoms appear after about two to three hours. However, signs of bean poisoning can vary in severity.

Because of their low body weight, children are particularly at risk. For them, a very small amount of 5 to 6 raw beans is enough to be deadly. Children should therefore be made aware of the danger if, for example, they play with beans in a garden. Should a case of poisoning nevertheless occur, medical advice must be obtained as quickly as possible, if necessary via the poison control center.

Phasin poisoning is easy to prevent

For all bean lovers, however, the all-clear is clear: fortunately, phasin is not very persistent
Incidentally, the steam cooker often used for vegetables is not suitable for beans. The gentle cooking process does not reach the required temperature to completely destroy the phasin. Green bean blanching water must also be discarded as it contains a significant amount of phasin.