Nori is the traditional Japanese ingredient created out of processed seaweed, more specifically the red algae Porphyra. The production starts with rinsing, draining, and slicing seaweed, which is later pressed and dried to create the rectangular sheets that are thin, flat, and black in color.
Through history, nori was mostly produced out of wild seaweed and was collected at its natural locations. The cultivation started in the 17th century, during the Edo period, when the growth in population increased the demand for nori. Today, it is commercially produced in a specially designed system of nets, where it is cultivated, then processed.
The earliest mention of nori in the Japanese history goes back to 701 AD when it was listed as a means of paying tax. During that period and up until the 18th century, nori was produced differently than today and had the form of a thick paste. Around 1750, with the art of paper making, the traditional sheet-form nori was created.
It remained a popular and easily produced ingredient up until the Second World War. In the aftermath of the war, pollution diminished traditional cultivation methods, creating huge difficulties for Japanese farmers who were not familiar with the scientific process of growing algae.
The British scientist Kathleen Drew-Baker, who studied their Atlantic counterpart, offered the crucial answers which helped the nori industry to be reinvented, grow, and eventually prosper in the second half of the 20th century. Today, dried nori sheets are a staple ingredient in every Japanese household.
They are usually used to wrap sushi or onigiri, or to flavor soups and noodle dishes. Before consumption, nori is typically roasted, allowing the nutty flavors and exceptional aromas to develop. With the growth of sushi popularity and the macrobiotic movement in the 1980s, the versatile nori sheets became recognizable around the world.
One of the most commonly utilized seaweeds in Oriental cuisine, kombu or konbu has long been a dietary staple in Japan, and refers to a type of brown seaweed, namely kelp of the Saccharina japonica species that is native to Japan but also extensively cultivated in China and Korea where it's known as haidai and dashima, respectively.
Apart from the great nutritional and healing values, kombu is also used for its flavor-enhancing properties: it is an invaluable natural source of glutamic acid whose powdery crystals emerge to the surface of the dried seaweed and easily dissolve in water, giving any food cooked with kombu its rich, umami flavor.
The ultimate renewable superfood, kombu is harvested at various ages, and while most of this kelp in the market is first-year kombu, what has a depth of flavor unlike any other is the second-year kombu known as ma-kombu in Japanese (lit. real or true kombu).
Far more superior and more expensive, ma-kombu is the only choice in Japanese restaurants which aim for the highest quality. In Japan, people use kombu in everything, from daily meals to recipes for special occasions, and while many other types of edible seaweeds are mostly used as they are, kombu is processed and used in a wide variety of ways.
The sun-dried and either whole or powdered dashi kombu is ideal for preparing the full-bodied dashi stock, but it is also perfect for miso and other soups. Powdered kombu can even be used for brewing kombu kelp tea called kombucha.
Meat and vegetable kombu-wrapped rolls tied with dried shavings of kanpyō calabash gourd are called kombu-maki and it is one of the most popular ways to prepare kombu. Tsukudani-kombu refers to thin kombu strips or squares boiled in soy sauce and sugar.
This kombu is usually eaten with rice or wrapped in onigiri rice balls, and it tastes even better with shiitake mushrooms, sesame seeds, Japanese peppers or shiso, Japanese basil. Often a prestigious gift during the formal gift-giving seasons in Japan, shio-kombu are strips or squares of kombu that have been boiled in a sugar-flavored mixture of soy sauce and mirin, dried and then shredded.
Shio-kombu is typically eaten in ochazuke, a simple Japanese dish made by pouring green tea, dashi, or hot water over cooked rice. Tororo-kombu refers to pickled, softened kombu kelp that is used in soups such as miso, udon, and soba; topped over rice or wrapped in onigiri.
More widely used than this variety are the dried, thinly shaved tororo-kombu flakes called furikake-tororo which are often sprinkled over rice dishes, miso soup, tofu or salads. Matsumae-zuke is a type of pickled dish typically enjoyed with rice and a cup of sake.
It is made with kombu and soft dried squid called surume, both of which are cut into thin strips and mixed with boiled soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, and vinegar. Kizami-kombu refers to a type of dried kombu noodle-like strips that can be stir-fried with meat and vegetables or used for preparing nimono dishes.
Kombu is also often enjoyed with green tea as a crunchy snack or finger food;
these leathery strips of dried kelp are often flavored with sugar or vinegar
and called nakano-kombu. Varying
in flavor, texture, and appearance, the countless kombu varieties some of which
are detailed above are not often readily encountered outside of Japan but using
any kombu found at a well-stocked Asian grocer will elevate and take your
Japanese washoku cooking
to the next level.
Wakame is a type of edible brown seaweed, reported to have numerous health benefits. Like other forms of seaweed, it usually comes in dry form and needs to be rehydrated before use. Its flavor is neutral, lightly briny, and slightly sweet.
In its dry form, the color of wakame is dark green, but when rehydrated, it turns into a bright, glossy, and vibrant green color. In Japan, it has been consumed for thousands of years, and some archaeological evidence shows proof of its consummation dating back to 3000 BC.
From the Nara period (710 AD) it has been cultivated by Japanese farmers, and at one point it was even used for taxation purposes. Nowadays, wakame is grown in Australia, New Zealand, and France, and since the 1980s and the big macrobiotic movement, it has been a widely popular ingredient in the United States of America.
During cooking, wakame leaves tend to expand, so they should be cut into smaller pieces. They are incorporated in numerous dishes - typically in refreshing salads and comforting soups. Wakame also goes well with noodles, seafood, or rice dishes. As a species, wakame is highly invasive and its existence outside of the controlled environment is closely monitored and considered undesirable.
Hijiki is a type of brown or dull green seaweed growing on the coastlines of Japan, China, and Korea. Over time, it has become a staple seaweed used in numerous dishes due to its versatility. It dries quickly, yet maintains most of its nutrient content such as high amounts of dietary fiber, calcium, iron, magnesium, and vitamin K.
Hijiki is often used in stir-fries, soups, and fish dishes. It is believed that
hijiki has been consumed since the Yayoi era, and it first appeared in print
during the early Heian period in a publication called Tales of Ise.
Source:
📃
https://www.tasteatlas.com/japan/algae
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_pagoda?wprov=sfla1
📷 Fig. 1.
https://www.maxpixel.net/Temple-Japan-Forest-Jungle-Pagoda-Asia-2627307
📷 Fig. 2.
https://www.tasteatlas.com/japan/algae
Subscribe by Email
Follow Updates Articles from This Blog via Email
No Comments