World's 10
Healthiest Dishes
by : AbdAlla Tamer
first prepratory
• China
• STEAMED GINGER SALMON
The ancient Chinese lauded ginger
for its digestive properties.
Researchers today praise salmon
for being rich in omega-3 fatty
acids, which help reduce LDL
(bad) cholesterol. They also single
out dark greens as an exceptional
source of powerful antioxidants.
Steaming is also the world's
healthiest cooking method; it
preserves flavor without adding
fat or depleting nutrients.
• Japan
• SOBA IN BROTH WITH TOFU
"Buckwheat is sweet, relaxes the
nerves, eases irritability and helps
clear out the stomach," a 1697
Japanese nutritional text
reportedly proclaimed about soba
noodles' main ingredient. Modern
science confirms that soba
contains rutin (a compound that
lowers cholesterol) and thiamine
(which just might calm your
nerves). Another nutrient in soba,
choline, is good for the liver—
which
is why inebriated Japanese men
pack soba parlors after a night
out on the town.
• Turkey
• BULGUR AND WALNUT SALAD
Everything that's healthful
and alluring about Middle
Eastern cooking comes
together in this Turkish recipe
from Istanbul food journalist
Engin Akin. Bulgur (rich in
cancer-fighting insoluble
fiber), chickpeas (full of
cholesterol-lowering soluble
fiber) and walnuts (a source
of omega-3 fatty acids) team
up in a warm salad drizzled
with pomegranate molasses.
• Russia
• WINTER BORSCHT WITH
BRISKET
Hot borscht is an iconic
Russian dish. Nutrition has
something to do with it:
Cabbage contributes vitamins
A and C and phytochemicals;
beets offer betacyanin, a
pigment believed to be a
cancer fighter; and potatoes
have vitamins, potassium and
iron. Some versions of
borscht are loaded with fatty
meat, but this recipe uses
lean brisket.
• Spain
• SALT-BAKED BASS
Baking whole fish in an armor
of sea salt keeps it beautifully
moist and concentrates its
flavor without making it
excessively salty and without
adding any fat. The sea bass
steams inside the crust,
preserving its omega-3 fatty
acids. (Striped bass and
snapper can also be cooked
this way.) The accompanying
sautéed cherry tomatoes are
a good source of vitamin C
and lycopene, a potent
antioxidant.
• France
• APRICOT AND ALMOND
SOUFFLÉS
Soufflés ("puffed up" in
French) usually bring to mind
rich ingredients, like cheese,
chocolate and egg yolks. But
the French also fashion
delicious soufflés from egg
whites and fruit purees. Not
only is this one vividly
flavored and as light as an air
kiss, it's also healthy, since
dried apricots are an
incredible source of
potassium and beta-carotene,
and almonds are higher in
calcium and fiber than any
other nut.
Many of the recipes in this story are adapted from Anya von Bremzen's
forthcoming book The Greatest Dishes!: Around the World in 80 Recipes.