Today I am visiting my family in the Baltics. And what astonishes me here every time is the abundance of raw, unpasteurised foods.
They’re not raw and unpasteurised because of the ‘new raw food movement’ which is actually very prominent and buzzing here. No.They are raw and unpasteurised because they’ve ALWAYS been that way.What a gift. The tradition of culturing and natural foods have been preserved.Read on to find out about the most important unpasteurised products to incorporate into your lifestyle and why.
Unpasteurised Honey:
Did you know that unless you buy premium quality artisan honey in UK, you are buying pasteurised honey which has all of its high enzyme content destroyed by the heat. Essentially, you are buying a processed sweetener. We always emphasize the importance of choosing a premium quality honey: ideally brought from small artisan producers that care about their bees.
It supports small beekeepers that love what they do, it supports the bees, and it provides you with enormous amount of nutrients and enzymes that are just void in the supermarket honey. This one is important.
Unpasteurised Fermented Stuff:
Essentially sauerkraut, miso, beer, cider, kombucha, kvass, the list goes on…. and all other marinated and preserved relishes. In their unpasteurised state they all have friendly bacteria that balances and strengthens our internal flora bringing more wellbeing and considerably boosting our immune system. All these products have been made for 1000s of years for a reason. Pasteurising them kinda negates their purpose all together. Simply put, they are just too good to miss out!
In UK you can get unpasteurised sauerkraut but you have to ask for it and read your labels carefully. If it doesn’t say it is unpasteurised, it is probably because it isn’t. In fact we stock two kinds of raw sauerkraut in Wild Juicery, we make our own kim-chi (Spicy Korean version of sauerkraut with purple cabbage), along side with miso and kombucha: friendly bacteria heaven indeed:)
Unpasteurised dairy:
Now dairy and animal products is not everyone’s cup of tea, but if you do consume dairy, you need to know this an here’s why:
Pasteurising dairy changes its structure leading to mucus, colds, asthma, lactose intolerance and many other health problems. Fact.
Once upon a time unpasteurised & fermented dairy was the only dairy. I remember when I was little girl standing by a cow in my grandma’s village and waiting with anticipation for my grandma to milk it. Then drinking a cup of warm, foamy, fresh and sweet milk. Woa – what an experience!
We invite you to take an extra mile and if you use dairy, use the best quality, organic, grass-fed, unpasteurised (or at least not homogenised) stuff.
Again, it is the love for animals, our own wellbeing, small producers and environment that makes it an absolute winner for us. We suggest you try Neal’s Yard Dairy – they’ve got some amazing unpasteurised cheeses and good quality milk; and Farmers Markets. You can even order unpasteurised dairy straight to your home from some biodynamic farms.
Here’s your challenge for this week: what unpasteurised foods are you consuming on a regular basis already AND what foods are you consuming that are not but SHOULD BE unpasteurised? Leave a comment on our website, in an email info@wildfoodcafe.com or our Facebook page – we would love to hear from you.
Wildest Love,
Aiste, Joel & The Wild Team