Collection: Japanese seaweed

The main types of Japanese seaweed used in cooking are :

• Nori: Used to wrap maki and onigiri.
• Wakame: Often added to soups, particularly miso soup.
• Kombu: Key ingredient in the preparation of dashi broth.
• Hijiki: Black seaweed used in salads or as a side dish.
• Aramé: Another black seaweed, often used in simmered dishes.

Seaweed is rich in minerals such as calcium, magnesium and iodine, essential for thyroid health. They also contain vitamins A, C, E and K, as well as antioxidants that help protect cells from damage. What's more, seaweed is a good source of fiber and has anti-inflammatory properties.

Nori is a thin, dried seaweed, often used to wrap sushi and maki, while wakame is a thicker seaweed, often used in soups, such as miso soup. Nori has a crunchier texture and a slightly salty taste, while wakame is softer and has a mild marine flavor.

Kombu is mainly used to prepare dashia basic stock for many Japanese soups. It can also be cut into thin strips and added to stews, or used to make tsukudani, a kind of sweet and sour condiment. To prepare dashi, kombu is usually infused in hot water, then removed before boiling.

Nori is the seaweed most commonly used to make maki. It is dried and pressed into thin sheets, ideal for wrapping rice and other ingredients in maki and sushi. Nori is characterized by its crunchy texture and slightly salty flavor.

To rehydrate dried seaweed, place it in a bowl of cold water for 5 to 10 minutes, until it returns to its original texture. Some seaweeds, such as kombu, can be added directly to a hot broth to rehydrate them while infusing the flavor. Once rehydrated, seaweed should be drained before use.

The recipes recipes include :

• Miso soup: Often prepared with wakame.
• Wakame salad: with sesame vinaigrette.
• Onigiri: Rice balls wrapped in nori.
• Dashi: Kombu-based broth.
• Hijiki no nimono: Simmered dish of hijiki with carrots and tofu.