Nigari

Does anyone know if this is raw? It is basically a Japanese sea salt derivative and sounds like it can be available sun-dried so may be raw but definately natural. It is normally used as a coagulant to make tofu. I am wanting to try it to make firm but soft raw cheezes. I wonder if it can be used straight (meaning it doesn’t have to be “cooked” to work).

Just wondering if anyone knows anything else about it …and what would be a good brand to buy?

It looks like it comes in liquid and flake forms. I am trying to decide which one to get. I don’t think the local Japanese store carries it by me.

http://www.simply-natural.biz/natural_foods_Sea…

Comments

  • okraokra Raw Newbie

    hi, i’m not 100%sure but i think they are not raw.

    used be people got nigari when they were drying sea salt, when you dry sea salt on a screen you’ll get sea water dripping and it was nigari used be. now people make nigari with heating process looks like.

    i have nigari and looks like a wet sea salt, but maybe it isn’ raw…

    i hope it gives you some idea and want or not want to use it. but i think your idea is so creative, you are rawsome!!!

  • queenfluffqueenfluff Raw Newbie

    okra – thanks for the info!

    Darn, from the info I read it really seemed like this could be raw. I would think it would definately be possible for this to be made raw, sundried. I know there are synthetic versions. I think the ones on the link are natural but maybe not raw.

    I wonder what it is that is so special in it that makes it able to coagulate items like tofu…I mean, it just seems like it is wet salt like you said. :) I guess a special mineral that is derived off the Japanese coast where it comes from.

    I haven’t ordered it so I probably won’t use it. I read a review of the Raw Truth Recipe book and someone was saying they are using nigari in there. I might try seeing if I can get a copy of that book and see if there are any suggestions for raw sources of nigari.

    I did make a raw feta cheeze this week (using Irish Moss as a thickener) but it turned out more like thick spread – that is what I really wanted the Nigari for – to make those firm light cubes. But now I have another idea to make it less spread like and more firm.

    I think the taste turned out pretty good – but I haven’t had feta in so long so I forget what it tastes like and I am having a friend test taste.

    If I find a raw source I’ll post it.

    What brand do you have okra?

  • okraokra Raw Newbie

    quwwnfluff,

    i can’t remember which brand mine is…..the jar doesn’t say it, but i looked more info about nigari. they said most “natural” nigari made in japan are heated (which they use old time method to heat sea water). so look for made in us, they are more likely sun dried, so they are raw! yay!!

    here’s little info “how to make nigari”: when you heated or sun dried sea water, caso4 starts crystallization first, remove them. then when water became 1/10, nacl become crystal,(so this is salt we eat) remove them. so there’s still water left, this is nigari. if you heated them more longer mgso4(magnesium chloride),mgcl2,kcl will become crystal form, looks loke wet sea salt. the magnesium chloride has a bitter flavor that the name come from, nigari means bitter juice.

    they said the combinations of all minerals is the key to make things to coagulate, most important one is magnesium.

    but like in india, they use lemon juice or vinegar to make home made cheese or yogurt, so maybe we can use them also?

    i never eat feta before and i forget what real cheese taste like too….but when i made soy yogurt with kombucha mother, they seemed like could be a feta like if you put them in a nut milk bag to squeeze out “whey” then diced.

    looking for your new cheese report, have fun and good luck!!!

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