It’s common knowledge that herbs and spices make food more delicious and give a chef an opportunity to express creativity. Those of us who love to prepare our own food have our favorite herbs that we use time and again. But did you know that you can unlock the mysteries of world cuisines and reproduce your favorite dishes simply by knowing which herbs and spices are predominant in that particular cuisine? Increasing your knowledge and use of spices and herbs can also significantly decrease your dependence on recipe books and expand your creativity in the kitchen. This is true regardless of the type of diet you may be following, and it’s also true with raw food cuisine. An added bonus with using herbs in raw food preparation is that the herbs are not diluted by heat and therefore retain all of their healing properties, as well as their clean flavor.

I am often asked how to make food interesting and dishes unique to an individual’s taste preference. The answer is simple: learn the basics and then experiment with herbs and spices to create dishes that speak to your taste buds. To create a dish using classic ethnic flavors, start with one or two focal ingredients. Begin adding other complementary flavors, considering flavor, food combining, texture and theme. But, most importantly, don’t be afraid to experiment. Bon appétit!

CLASSIC ETHNIC FLAVORS
Latin American: Chiles, corn, cumin, cilantro, garlic, lime, pineapple, onion, tomato, avocado, bell pepper, cabbage, cinnamon and chocolate

Thai: Basil, chilies, cilantro, coconut, mango, cumin, curry, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, lime, mint, peanut, tamarind and turmeric

Eastern European: Beets, cabbage, caraway seeds, dill, mushrooms, parsley and cream

Middle Eastern: Anise, cilantro, chilies, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, dill, eggplant, garlic, lemon, honey, mint, olive oil, oregano, parsley, pine nuts, pomegranates, poppy seeds, saffron, sesame, tahini, tomato, almonds and olives

Japanese: Garlic, ginger, scallions, shitake mushrooms, nama shoyu, tamari, miso, sesame seeds, sesame oil, toasted sesame oil and wasabi

Italian: Garlic, olive oil, ricotta, spinach, tomato, parsley, basil, oregano and rosemary

Indonesian: Basil, sucanat, chilies, cilantro, cinnamon, coconut, cumin, curry, garlic, ginger, lime, mint and nama shoyu

Indian: Anise, cardamom, chilies, cinnamon, cloves, coconut, coriander, cumin, curry, fennel, fenugreek, garlic, ginger, lemon, mint, mustard, peas, saffron, spinach, tamarind and turmeric

French: Apples, cheese, chives, cream, garlic, olive oil, parsley and tarragon

Chinese: Basil, bean sprouts, bok choy, garlic, ginger, mushrooms, scallions, sesame, snow peas, tamari and nama shoyu

Caribbean: Allspice, avocado, banana, chilies, cilantro, cinnamon, coconut, curry, garlic, ginger, limes, jerk, mango, mint, okra, papaya, pineapple, plantain, sucanat, sweet potato, tomato and vanilla

TRADITIONAL THAI GREEN PAPAYA SALAD (serves 4)

Ingredients:
Dressing
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp minced jalapeno chili
¼ cup lime juice
1 tbs raw honey
2 tsp brown miso paste
Salad base
4 cups grated green papaya
1 cup grated carrot
¾ cup sliced cherry tomatoes
40 Thai basil leaves, chopped

Instructions:
Place the garlic and chili into a coffee grinder and process until it forms a paste. Place the mixture in a large bowl, add all other dressing ingredients and mix well. Prepare the salad base and add to the bowl with the dressing. Massage the dressing into the salad ingredients with your hands. Serve topped with dehydrated and chopped namu shoyu (unpasteurized tamari or soy sauce) marinated almonds.

Chef Jenya is a graduate of Living Light Culinary Arts Institute. She teaches classes and workshops and speaks nationally on the benefits of raw food. For more information, visit www.essentialenergycuisine.com.

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