Japanese Seaweed (kaiso)
Seaweeds are super-health foods. They have very low fat and are packed with minerals that they take from the sea. Some of them taste good too. Phew.
There are three main types of seaweed used in Japanese cooking.
Kombu, Wakame & Nori.
Kombu are large flat sheets of kelp (Laminaria), usually sold dried. It is mostly used to flavour stocks and is a key ingredient in making dashi. Once the stock is right, the seaweed is then thrown away. It can be eaten though, if simmered for 20mins. In China it is called kunbu.
Wakame is also often sold dried & then soaked before using. It is the type added to Miso soups. Delicious stuff!
Nori are the flat sheets of seaweed used in many sushi dishes, california rolls etc. It's also sometimes shredded and put over noodles. It comes from a purple/red algae called Porphyra. The Chinese call it zicai.
There are three main types of seaweed used in Japanese cooking.
Kombu, Wakame & Nori.
Kombu are large flat sheets of kelp (Laminaria), usually sold dried. It is mostly used to flavour stocks and is a key ingredient in making dashi. Once the stock is right, the seaweed is then thrown away. It can be eaten though, if simmered for 20mins. In China it is called kunbu.
Wakame is also often sold dried & then soaked before using. It is the type added to Miso soups. Delicious stuff!
Nori are the flat sheets of seaweed used in many sushi dishes, california rolls etc. It's also sometimes shredded and put over noodles. It comes from a purple/red algae called Porphyra. The Chinese call it zicai.
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