Even in the vegetable world, there is a right place for everything.

For beauty. For health.

Or perhaps as a small atonement for myself, who was embraced, soul and all, by ramen and fried chicken last night.

Today, too, I live with a face like a herbivore, clutching a bowl full of raw vegetables.

Crunch, crunch. Munch, munch.

The sound of me saying, 'I am becoming healthy right now,' is exceptionally impressive.

But... in reality.

My stomach after the meal felt as cold as if I had just returned from a snowy country.

My digestive system was working at full capacity, putting even a sweatshop to shame.

Before I knew it, despite having supposedly become healthy, I was somehow exhausted.

'To keep vitamins intact, raw is the only way.'

'If you heat them, the nutrients will be destroyed.'

One day, an existence appeared that shattered my belief in raw vegetables from the ground up.

A single carrot.

It shows its face in curry and stew, always exuding a sense of being nutritious; it is the class president of the vegetable world.

What shocked me was the issue of absorption rates for raw foods.

I used to munch on raw carrots, thinking I was doing something good.

Their beta-carotene absorption rate is a staggering 8%.

8%... seriously?

That's basically just passing right through.

Even though I tried so hard to eat them, there's a possibility they were just passing through my body with a casual nod, saying, 'Thanks for the effort'.

By the way, beta-carotene is a nutrient that acts like a transforming hero of the vegetable world, turning into vitamin A as needed once it enters your body.

It even has the reliability to protect your eyes, skin, and mucous membranes while fighting off the rusting of your body caused by UV rays and stress.

But as for that very important beta-carotene...

Simply stir-frying it in oil causes the absorption rate to skyrocket to about 70%.

A sudden awakening event.

The moment the cell walls are broken down by heat and it teams up with oil, the carrot finally shows its true potential.

In other words, carrots aren't solitary warriors enduring in their raw state, but cooperative characters that show their true value when paired with oil🤝

What on earth was all that time I spent desperately peeling skins, eating them raw, and soaking up the feeling of being healthy?

Instead of opening the treasure chest, I was just polishing the key and feeling satisfied.

But the truly terrifying part starts here.

For example, take Pumpkin-senpai, who appears on the dinner table in winter with an overwhelming sense of being the star player.

Simmered dishes are wonderful, of course.

They are packed with all the gentleness of Japanese cuisine.

But...

If you want to awaken its nutrients to their maximum potential, the correct answer is, surprisingly, butter sautéing.

Wait, is such a guilt-inducing cooking method actually the right thing to do?

Yes, it is.

The abundant beta-carotene in pumpkin really shows its true power the moment it teams up with oil.

It has about twice the absorption rate compared to heating without oil, and about six times compared to eating it raw.

In other words, we have finally obtained a legitimate excuse to use butter while saying, "It's for the sake of beauty!"

Even more surprising is that slightly hard skin that people tend to dislike.

Actually, that area is a treasure trove of nutrients.

It is said to be packed with about three times the nutrients of the flesh.

In other words, throwing away pumpkin skin is like throwing away a wallet with jewels on it and only taking the contents home.

It is like throwing away a wallet with jewels on it and only taking the contents home.

Tempura, gratin, butter-sautéed.

Dishes that I previously thought, 'Well, the calories are a bit high...' are actually nutritionally superb.

What an indulgence.

And then, there is Professor Broccoli.

For many years, I have been far too impatient with this little one.

The moment I buy it, I cut it immediately. Microwave it immediately.
It was a complete time-attack method.

But what is truly important happens after you cut it.

In fact, broccoli quietly awakens after being cut.

When the cells are broken, an enzyme called myrosinase is activated, which produces sulforaphane, a star in the beauty world.

In other words, cutting and heating it immediately is like skipping a hero's transformation scene and starting the main story.

What a waste, isn't it?

From now on, please wait just 4 to 5 minutes after cutting it.

It is the preparation time for the broccoli world.

Moreover, this myrosinase is a delicate type that is sensitive to heat.

If you attack it with high heat, it will quietly exit the stage.

The ideal is to steam it gently at 75 degrees Celsius or lower.

Then, the sweetness will increase, and a small moment of wonder will occur.

Furthermore, there are the stems, which are usually just thrown away.

They are packed with vitamin C and dietary fiber.

In fact, they are practically the main event.

I recommend shredding them, sautéing them with garlic and olive oil, and eating them in something like pasta.

For broccoli, vitamin C is all about freshness.

It drops by half just three days after shipping.

It is the fresh-produce romanticist of the vegetable world.

If you let it lounge in the refrigerator for too long, its nutrients will quietly take their leave.

And then there is the unexpected dark horse: the bell pepper.

That little guy that Shinnosuke Nohara hates so much is actually quite impressive.

Vitamin C is usually sensitive to heat, but bell peppers are different.

Protected by their thick-walled bodies and their partner, vitamin P, they don't break down easily even when heated.

In other words, they are tough even when stir-fried.

If anything, they are even stronger when paired with oil.

Especially red bell peppers.

They are, quite simply, the Red Comet of the antioxidant world.

Packed with beta-carotene.
It also pairs perfectly with oil.

The reason why vegetables are flash-fried in Chinese cooking is actually based on science.

And then there's the tomato.

Despite its fresh and juicy appearance, it is actually a type that is waiting to be heated.

Applying heat breaks down the cell walls, making lycopene and beta-carotene easier to absorb.

In other words, tomato sauce is not just a fancy dish.

The moment it teams up with olive oil, Mediterranean wisdom and nutritional science shake hands.

That said, it doesn't mean you should heat all vegetables.

The blood-thinning components in onions and the delicate vitamins in cabbage are better off raw or cooked for a short time☝️

Fermented foods like sauerkraut are also quite excellent.

In short, vegetables each have different stages where they can shine.

Some are suited for small live houses, while others are suited for dome concerts.

Today, I feel like eating some pumpkin made glossy with butter.

That feeling is actually a message from your body.

Rather than chewing on a salad seasoned with guilt while keeping a straight face, I feel that a meal that makes your cheeks soften with a 'Wow, this is delicious' does much more for your heart.

Deliciousness is amazing.

Because it pulls not just your stomach, but your spirits along with it.

Now then.

What shall we make in the kitchen today?

Shall we julienne the carrots with their skins on and stir-fry them in plenty of oil?

Let's crack an egg into it and add some tuna, too.

On days when you feel a bit tired, have something warm.

On days when you need a little boost, have vegetables that have made friends with oil.

Time spent eating as if to care for yourself restores us much more than we realize.

May a little bit of delicious happiness grace your dinner table tonight as well.