Salads, mostly prepared raw with sprinkling of ginger slivers and lemon juice, were first documented in the Ashoka period was thanks to Ayurveda. In fact, this earlier version of a ‘raw food diet’ was adopted by the Buddhist from Kalinga (present day Odisha and West Bengal) who took it to other countries and continents while they travelled.
Many food historians attribute the tradition of eating raw food or par-boiled food in Chinese cuisine to Ayurveda and to the Chinese pilgrim Fa Hsien (c. 337–422 AD) whom visited India many a time to document the culinary and health system. His notes indicate that Indian cuisine of that time, especially the vegetarian side, used minimum spices and cooking time so as to impart that right flavour to the dish without compromising on the nutrients. For this salad we use white radish, also known as daikon or Chinese radish. Perfect on it's own or as an accompanying salad, the mild heat of the radish combines with the freshness of the coriander, mint & lime to lift the spirits. Daikon is known for it's Vitamin C (when eaten raw), potassium, and phosphorus. Additionally, it contains several beneficial enzymes that aid in digestion as well as phytonutrients that help to fight against cancer.
With love and a history of health boosting food, Rose x
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