Lima: George Ohsawa's wife's name. They brought macrobiotics to the West. A European natural foods company est. 1956 named after her and also used by the former Chico-san as a brand name.

Mirin: Rice cooking wine made with koji. Largely undiscovered in the West, it imparts deliciousness and appeal to foods cooked with it. A well kept secret of master chefs the world over. Also used for sauces, dressings, and marinades.

Miso: Koji-fermented soybean paste created in many varieties, each with its own distinct personality. A hearty combination of subtle and rich flavors offering concentrated nutrition. Its efficacy has made miso soup an American health food staple. An intuitively conceived food, it nurtures the same in us.

Mother of Vinegar: Eden vinegars are fermented in wooden vats, lightly filtered and unpasteurized. They contain 'mother', a mixture of bacteria and enzymes, which may appear as a slight cloudiness. Most of the mother is removed in the filtering process, but it will continue to develop in the bottle with each exposure to air. If you want to remove the mother pour the vinegar through a cotton lined strainer. The continued development of mother is an assurance of beneficial, smooth quality.

Mu #16 Tea: The vegetable kingdom perceptibly moves you with this superb 16 herb combination.

Nori: The sweetest seaweed. It is made into thin sheets used as wrappers for rice balls and sushi. Toasted and crumbled it's a nourishing, colorful garnish.

Pickled Daikon Radish: Pickled in a blend of rice bran and sea salt that nurtures B vitamins. Daikon radish is rich in the digestive enzyme diastase so this Pickle has been traditionally offered at meal's end. Ponzu Sauce: A dipping or cooking sauce that features the five flavors of salty, spicy, sour, sweet, and bitter from its combination of ingredients - shoyu, vinegar, mirin, barley malt and citrus juices. Always refreshing, great with tempura, in dressings and marinades. Quinoa: An ancient grain called the 'Mother Grain', It was the staple of the Aztec and other pre-Columbian American civilizations. Quick cooking and highly nutritious, with a potent and balanced amino acid profile and carbohydrate-to-protein ratio.

Sea Salt: Evaporating ocean water produces salt containing a complete spectrum of trace minerals and less sodium than refined table salt. Shiitake: A renowned mushroom with a bright, crisp, Stimulating flavor. It's traditionally known health benefits have attracted scientific attention and made it the focus of extensive research. Delicious with root vegetables, in soups, sauces and stews.

Shoyu: A traditionally brewed soy sauce made with whole soybeans, wheat, salt and koji. It has a deep aroma and rich flavor. Shoyu is a universal food that enhances and blends flavors while adding nutritional value.

Soba: The Japanese word for buckwheat that has come to mean the traditional pasta made with it - hearty and warming, yet delicate.

Often eaten with broth, this pasta is great with your favorite sauces as well.

Tamari: Traditional soy sauce made from soybeans. It has a stronger flavor than shoyu, a less subtle bouquet, and more limited flavor enhancing and blending characteristics.

Toasted Sesame Oil: A rich, flavorful oil made by roasting sesame seeds before oil pressing.

Udon: Traditional Japanese wheat pasta with a smooth texture and delicious taste. A favorite in noodle broth. A healthy fast food that's versatile.

Ume Plum: The easiest and most healthful way to enjoy the benefits of the Ume plum are Plumballs; quarter gram balls that are 50% Ume concentrate and 50% jinenjo powder ( yam dioscorea sp.), an additional strengthening agent.

Ume Vinegar: Produced from the brine of umeboshi plums; it is used in salad dressings, as a vegetable dip and on cooked greens.

Unrefined Oil: Extracted using a mechanical process - 'expeller pressed'- and then lightly filtered. Many oils called 'cold-pressed' are hexane extracted.

Wakame: Miso soup is not complete without this sweet, thin leafed seaweed native to deep ocean waters.