Gomasio Recipe

 But, if eaten in excess, Ayurveda teaches the salt can contribute to oedema, inflammation, bleeding, skin diseases, joint problems, impotence, early wrinkling of the skin and early baldness.

 

Salt is believed to enhance all appetites, including our appetite or enthusiasm for life. It pacifies Vata and increases confidence and courage. However, overindulgence can lead to hedonism, addiction, attachment, greed and possessiveness. It can lead to an excess of Pitta and Kapha.

 

When choosing salts to cook with it is best to use unrefined salt such as sea salt, lake salt, crystal salt, rock salt and black salt (a pinkish unrefined mineral salt with a strong sulfuric flavor). All unrefined salt is actually a form of sea salt but can come from two sources:

either freshly dried from the sea, as in Celtic Sea Salt, or mined from ancient inland ocean beds as in Himalayan Salt. In either case the salt is a naturally occurring complex of sodium chloride, major minerals and a complete complement of essential trace minerals. This is the form of salt the body recognizes and is designed to use. Unrefined salt (sea salt) is 84% sodium chloride and 16% other minerals.

 

Refined table salt on the other hand, is a manmade creation of the last century that contains anti-caking chemicals, is processed at high temperatures altering the molecular structure of the salt and removing the beneficial trace minerals. Refined salt is 97.5% sodium chloride, approximately 2.5% chemical additives and 0% minerals. It is not as beneficial (nor anywhere near as tasty) as unrefined salt. However, it does generally contain iodine - an important micro-nutrient that, if lacking, can contribute to developmental problems in kids, goitre and a variety of other deficiency disorders.

 

This is a big problem in developing countries where dietary intake is inadequate. Iodine is particularly important for developing kids and pregnant Mums. In addition to occurring naturally in unrefined salts (including sea salt), iodine is present in all seafood and in meat, eggs and dairy products. Wakame seaweed is the richest source of naturally occurring iodine and other seaweeds also contain iodine. If you incorporate these foods into your diet, then a table-salt supplement may be unnecessary. 

Here is a recipe for Gomasio from my Zen Teacher, using good quality sea salt. Gomasio is an excellent way of getting good salt down deep into the belly where it enhances digestion, absorption and assimilation of nutrients. It has blood-cleansing qualities, neutralises acidity in the blood, strengthens nerve tissue and the liver and stimulates brain activity. In Shojin-ryori, the type of vegetarian cooking traditionally practiced at Zen monasteries in Japan, a lot of sesame is used.

 

Gomasio Recipe

 

A great digestive to have in small amounts with any of the dishes in this book…. a bit like dukkah.

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

∼ 10 parts black sesame, or raw unhulled sesame.

∼ 1 part good sea salt

 

METHOD: 

 

In a warm pan carefully roast the salt. Once the aroma has vanished, after about 3 mins, and the salt is sufficiently parched, transfer it to the mortar (or a suribachi- a grooved Japanese mortar), and grind it to a very fine powder.

 

Next warm a small, thin walled pan with a tight fitting lid, and place enough sesame seeds so as to just cover the bottom of the pan.  Close the lid. When you hear a few crackles, then a few pops, take it off the heat and shake the pan up and down for 10 seconds. 

 

Add the seeds to the salt. A little smoke should occur. If there is none then the seeds are under toasted. If the smoke smells burnt, the seeds are over roasted.

 

Now for the grinding, again in a mortar and pestle… don’t grind too hard as this will force out the oils and make the salt tacky and poor tasting. Grind until about ¾ of the seeds have broken open and the rest are intact. Take the time to take care at this stage. Each salt grain should be coated with the oil from the sesame seeds.

 

Make gomasio fresh every 3-4 days. Keep in an airtight container away from heat. In the fridge is ok too. Use only ½ tsp with a meal.

 

** Many different types of unrefined sale are available from Santos Organics in the Byron A&I Estate.**

 

Nadia Marshall is an Ayurvedic Consultant & Cook, Health Writer and Director of the Mudita Institute & Health Clinic in Mullumbimby. The Mudita Institute cookbook, “WARMTH” is available as a FREE download from their website at www.muditainstitute.com.