Studies Underway to Reduce Salt While Maintaining Flavor

Welcome to "Learn Japanese from the News."

Thanks for joining us.

In this program, we'll learn Japanese and about the country through Japanese news stories.

Today, we have a story about food and cooking.

Studies Underway to Reduce Salt While Maintaining Flavor.

Chiara, do you watch your salt intake?

Well, I do try to eat as healthily as possible.

I cook at home, I avoid processed foods.

I don't think I use that much salt, but really, I've not thought about it!

Yes, it's hard to know the exact amount of salt you take in, but cooking for yourself is definitely healthier.

OK, before we go to the news clip, let's go over some words to listen for.

"shio."

salt.

"aji."

flavor or taste.

"choomiryoo."

seasoning or condiment.

OK, let's watch the news clip.

Beer company Kirin Holdings has created
a bowl and spoon that make it possible to perceive saltiness
in reduced-salt dishes.

They conducted joint research
with a university.

A very low level of electricity
is emitted from the bottom of the bowl
and the spoon,

making food taste salty.

Ajinomoto has created seasonings
containing less salt than before.

Some contain 60% less salt.

They added other ingredients to ensure
that it doesn't taste undersalted.

The average salt intake of Japanese people
exceeds the government's target level.

Consuming too much salt
can cause illness.

There is likely more research to come on how we can reduce salt
and still enjoy our meals.

Well, I think there is a perception that in general, Japanese cuisine is pretty healthy.

Right. But as the story mentions, the Japanese diet is high in sodium.

According to the latest data, the average daily salt intake among Japanese people is 10.1 grams.

That exceeds the daily limit recommended by the health ministry.

It's also nearly twice the amount the World Health Organization recommends for adults.

Japan's salt intake is among the highest in the world.

OK, are there risks to consuming too much salt?

Yes, it can cause high blood pressure, which increases the risk of many health issues, like heart attack, heart failure, and stomach cancer.

Right. Well, that explains why companies like the ones in our story today are trying to reduce people's salt consumption and literally help them shake their salt habit.

Exactly.

Now, let's review some sentences from the story.

A very low level of electricity is emitted from the bottom of the bowl and the spoon, making food taste salty.

Now read along with me.

"owan no soko ya supuun kara totemo yowai denki o
tabemono ni nagashite

shio no aji o tsuyoku kanjiru koto ga
dekiru yoo ni shimashita."

Wow, using electricity to make food taste saltier than it actually is...

Now this sounds like science fiction to me.

Yes, I really want to try using this to see how the taste changes.

Now, let's check in with Tokunaga-sensei to learn about words related to food and taste.

Here are some basic Japanese words
that describe flavor.

Amai means "sweet,"
like sugar or honey.

Karai means "spicy" or "hot,"
like Tabasco or chili peppers.

Suppai means "sour,"
like lemons or vinegar.

Nigai means "bitter,"
like beer or coffee.

Sometimes you're served food
that you don't like or can't eat.

When that happens,
use the word nigate.

So, if you don't want to eat
raw foods like sashimi say "Nama no mono wa
nigate nandesu."

If a dish contains something
you're allergic to or can't eat for religious reasons,
that's a serious problem.

So it's a good idea to make a list in Japanese
of all the foods you can't eat.

Show it to the waitstaff
before placing an order.

And ask, "Kore ga haitte imasen ka?"

OK, let's move on to our next sentence.

Ajinomoto has created seasonings containing less salt than before. Some contain 60% less salt.

Now read along with me.

"Ajinomoto wa ima madeyori shio o sukunakushita
choomiryoo o tsukurimashita

rokuju-paasento
sukunaku-shita mono mo arimasu."

So the "choomiryoo" mentioned in the story, which is actually a soup stock powder, actually contains up to 60% less "shio" or salt than conventional products which is quite a reduction.

Yes. And the reduction of salt is called "gen-en."

So, if you see a product that says "gen-en shooyu," that's low-sodium soy sauce.

It's great to have reduced-salt options and alternatives, but I think that the real challenge is making sure that they taste the same as the salt-filled versions.

Right. So we asked an expert for some advice.

Oda Makiko is a registered dietitian.

She gives a number of reasons for the high salt content of the Japanese diet.

First, Japanese people have a long tradition of using salt to preserve foods.

Second, the diet includes fermented products that are high in sodium, such as soy sauce and miso.

Third, popular noodle dishes like ramen and udon tend to contain a lot of salt.

But Oda says that with just a little technique, you can reduce the amount of salt you use in your cooking.

Today she will prepare "omuraisu," a dish that combines an omelet and rice pan-fried with ketchup and chicken.

Regular "omuraisu" contains about 3.5 grams of salt per serving.

But Oda says with just a couple of tweaks, you can make a reduced-salt version using the same ingredients.

First, instead of coating the rice with ketchup, use it to flavor the chicken and onion.

Let the ketchup come to a boil before stirring.

This allows you to concentrate the flavors and use less salt overall.

For the omelet, mix a spoonful of mayonnaise into your egg mixture.

The mayo acts as a thickening agent, giving you flavorful, custardy results with fewer eggs and less salt.

And here's Oda's take on "omuraisu."

It contains just 1.8 grams of salt per serving - half the salt content of regular "omuraisu."

Reducing the amount of salt
is not only healthier it also allows you to better enjoy
the flavor and aroma of ingredients.

When you take control
of your salt intake you also become interested in
the ingredients you use

and you become more familiar
with basic seasonings.

Well that sounds easy enough! Cutting down on salt may seem challenging, but if you want to make long-term changes to your diet,

it's all about making little adjustments slowly over time, so that they become habits.

I agree. And that's all for today.

We'll see you next time.

See you soon.