This week, we're talking seaweed... or as we like to call it, sea vegetables. In Japanese, the word for seaweed is "kaiso". Kaiso are an important part of the Japanese diet. The Japanese have been harvesting them for thousands of years, both wild and cultivated. Kaiso are highly nutritious (many sea vegetables are especially rich in calcium) and a source of flavor enhancement (naturally occurring glutamates). Although it's already passed, did you know that April 14th is Nori Day? In Shibushi, Japan, April 14th is Nori Day to honor the nori industry and Kathleen Drew-Baker, an English botanist whose research in red algae led to breakthroughs in technology that led to large-scale nori cultivation being possible. To the Japanese, she is known as “Mother of the Sea”... a huge honor! Kombu Kombu is an extremely important sea vegetable in the Japanese pantry. It is used primarily to make stocks (such as dashi) because of its abundant, naturally occurring glutamates. Kombu is gathered in the shallow waters off Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island. The best variety, rishiri kombu, is 1/8” thick, 5” to 8” wide and grows anywhere from 5’ to 8’ long. When purchased in a specialty shop in Japan, it comes dried in full lengths, or is precut into convenient sizes, which are packed in flat plastic envelopes. It pays to buy the best quality you can find, as its subtle flavor varies widely. However, it might be hard to find the best varieties in the US. Kombu has virtually no protein, but is high in calcium, carotene, iron and iodine. It is thought to contain cancer-fighting ingredients. Wakame Wakame is often used in soups, such as miso soup, or in sunomono salads. It is usually sold in dried form, and soaked in water before using. Wakame is usually dried or preserved in salt, making it a staple for the Japanese pantry. To reconstitute dried wakame: soak a small handful (it expands a ton) in a bowl of room temperature water for 10 minutes. Rinse, chop and serve raw in salads, or serve lightly simmered in soup. Fresh wakame is available during springtime in Japan. Fresh wakame is more delicate than dried wakame and has fabulous flavored. Wakame is high in fiber, calcium, iron, and vitamins. Nori Nori are thin, dried sheets of seaweed that have a crisp texture. Japan produces more nori, both in quantity and variety, than any other country in the world. The early Japanese ate nori raw, as early as the 7th century. Today nori is farmed. Spores are planted in January on nets and placed in bays or lagoons. After harvesting the seaweed in autumn, it is washed in cold water and then spread thinly onto sheets to dry in the sun. It is then toasted and cut into sheets, or seasoned with soy sauce and mirin to make flavored nori. Because sushi has become so popular in the US, it is becoming easier to find nori in grocery stores, sold in 8” x 7” black or dark green sheets. Better quality nori is thick and has a tight and even texture. Nori is used for making maki zushi, cut into pieces to eat with onigiri, or crumbled over cold soba noodles, seafood domburi, and other dishes. Furikake nori has small bits of nori in it, as well as other ingredients such as sesame seeds, and is used as a condiment - often sprinkled over rice. "Korean-style" nori is a popular snack. Approximately 2"x4", very thin pieces of nori are seasoned with sesame oil and salt, and usually come about 10 to a package. They're an excellent guilt-free replacement for potato chips. (If you have any sort of Asian supermarket near you, they'll probably have it. If you have a Costco membership, you can also check your local Costco for them... they're $6 for a box of 24 packages.) There's also a Japanese version of these, which are slimmer (1"x3") and a little thicker, and come in a variety of flavors. Nori is high in protein and dietary fiber.