soaking grains

[Leenie]

I attended the KI's open house last weekend. They gave 3 short lectures (lots of great food and Shiatsu massage too) which included a cooking demonstration. Bettina, the demonstrator, mentioned always presoaking the rice overnight to reduce the content of a particular acid that interfers with the uptake of several vitamins/minerals. I have never done this! Is anyone else out there presoaking their rice? Can someone provide me with a reference to this in one of the books? I did not have an opportunity to ask Bettina about the soaking before I left.

Thanks for your help.
Leenie

Yes, I soak my rice. Books that mention this are, I believe, Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford, and the more recent, less technical "Hip Chick's guide to macrobiotics" by jessica porter. There are probably others. I don't think soaking was involved in macrobiotics years ago; I think recognition of the phytic acid in brown rice and its inhibition of zinc absorption (maybe other minerals too; i'm not sure) in the macro community is relatively recent (but i'm not sure). I know that Christina Pirello soaks brown rice due to phytic acid but doesn't soak any other grain (though there may be other macros who do). She also stopped soaking beans cause she says that when you do you lose the important enzymes! I hope this helps.

[Leenie]

Thanks for the info. I'll check out those sources. I've never heard of the not soaking beans....How does one deal with the resultant flactulence? I tend to soak my beans in hot water for only a few hours, discard the soaking water, boil them for 5 minutes, remove the foam, add kombu and then pressure cook.

Thansk again for your info.
Leenie