The story of Zen Natural Foods and its owner Lisa Koda is as improbable as it is fascinating. It is part chance, part fate, and part of a higher calling for Lisa.
Born in Tokyo, Lisa’s original career choice was fashion design. “I was fascinated by making clothes. I studied English literature in Japan, but my real interest was fashion design.” She left Japan in 2005 to attend a small fashion school in Los Angeles. A friend arranged a blind date that would change the course of her life yet again. Ross Koda, grandson of the founder of Koda Farms in South Dos Palos, California, would steal her heart and the two would soon marry. The transformation from fashion designer to food artisan had begun.
“I got a flu shot and had a terrible reaction to it,” Lisa recalls. “It was like I couldn’t wake up. One day I fell and hit my head and ended up in a coma.” While her husband and friends watched and wondered if she’d recover, Lisa was in a dream-like trance with one clear message coming through.
“Go to Shasta” was all it said.
“I had no idea what ‘Shasta’ even was. After I recovered consciousness, different friends would ask me if I wanted to go with them to Mt Shasta. They didn’t know one another, which made it so remarkable.” Once again, Lisa followed her heart, this time to Mt Shasta in Northern California.
When she arrived, it was shortly after wildfires had ravaged the forests surrounding the mountain. “It was heartbreaking to see the damage,” she said. “It was there I first thought of food and how it affects our emotions. Artificial ingredients and chemicals used to grow food were causing sickness and emotional suffering in society. I decided then and there I wanted to make food that was natural, organic, to help people.” This decision ultimately led to the creation of Zen Natural Foods. Koda Farms was already selling their rice at the Aptos Farmers Market at Cabrillo College, and in 2022 Lisa added her new rice bowls to their product line.
Focusing on making a simple item, Lisa developed a menu of rice bowls filled with various fillings, ranging from wild salmon to crab and chicken. “The rice Koda Farms grows is certified organic.” The rice is wrapped in seaweed, similar to sushi, and filled while you wait. Miso soup is also on the menu, as are cold matcha tea and hot organic brown rice tea.
Her daughter, twelve-year-old Grace, and friend Yokayama assist Lisa at the Aptos Farmers Market. The trio works quickly to serve the customers who line up to enjoy the delicious rice bowls. Their smiles are sincere, and their spirits light as they work, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. For many, Zen Natural Foods has become a regular stop each Saturday.
Zen Natural Food’s logo is unusual. “The symbol is called musuhi – creating something new from things that are old.” Zen Natural Foods is new, but the cuisine has been around for a long time. Stop by and say hello to Lisa and her crew. Zen Natural Foods will nourish your body and your spirit.
