There is a style of macrobiotic cooking called Kinpira. This dish usually uses certain combination of vegetables, such as carrot and burdock, or carrot, onion and turnip. The essence of kinpira is that after sauteeing, we add water, cover the pan and let it steam. Steaming makes more downward energy. It is done in a covered pot with a small amount of water. The steam goes up to the lid, hits the lid and then rains down. Steaming is something like rain. What does that movement make?

It makes more downward, stabilizing energy. When you simmer the vegetables afterwards, it takes that active, rich energy and sends it down, deep inside. It makes your energy strong and active, but deep inside. Not so much on the surface, but deep inside. Kinpira is a dish we use for weakness or anemia, to make you strong and help you to discharge yin foods. That isn’t important to know, however.

If you start to look at food as energy it may look difficult to figure out. But once you start to look at it, then little by little you start to see it and then it seems interesting. Then you start to know which way to go with your cooking, whether you need more of this or that. If this seems difficult to understand now, try it!

When you start to choose foods, when you start to think of what combinations you are going to make, and what cooking styles, start to think “How will this nourish my energy?” I guarantee that if you do this every time you cook, before long, you will start to see these relationships.

Once you start to see food as energy, then food starts to come alive!
When it comes alive, we can better nourish ourselves, our families and our world.