Selection and storage
Ready-to-use, dried nori sheets are available in Japanese stores and supermarkets all around the year. Choose sheets that are shiny and have a firm, dry, brittle texture, and green hue when exposed to the bright light. Both hoshi-nori (dried, un-toasted) and yaki-nori (dried and toasted) sheets in sealed packs are put for sale in these markets.
Store nori sheets in a cool dry place at home away from moisture and humidity. Keep nori flakes and powder in sealed containers.
Preparation and serving methods
Nori seaweed sheets are the cornerstone of sushi bars. This purplish-red seaweed turns green when dried and toasted. Nori is usually employed as tasted and little moistened sheets in these popular sushi bars to wrap around cooked rice. Nori features a strong fishy (amine) flavor.
Here are some serving ideas:
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| Sushi rolls layered with nori sheets Photo courtesy: Rusty clark |
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Nori sheets are used to prepare sushi. It is wrapped around the cooked rice (mixed with sushi vinegar) with a slice of common vegetable, raw shrimp, or fish.
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Nori egg soup (Nori tamago sumashijiru) is a popular Japanese clear soup served before dinner as an appetizer. It is sprinkled over cooked rice, vegetables, and seafood.
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Furikake is a Japanese condiment mixture of dried fish, nori, sesame seeds, sugar, and salt.
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Nori flakes alone are also sprinkled as a garnish in vegetable, chicken, and salmon salads.
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Nori-crusted salmon is another popular dish in which nori powder is sprinkled over salmon fillet and grilled in the oven.
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Crumbled nori sheets are used in bread, sandwiches, fish, tofu, vegetable, pasta dishes, and rice. It is also used as a condiment and an infusion.
Safety profile
Nori seaweed, being marine produce, carries relatively higher concentrations of minerals, trace elements, and heavy metals.
Dried nori carries less mineral content than fresh, wet-harvest seaweeds. Iodine content in dried sheets may range from 16-20 µg/g in nori. People with known thyroid disease (thyrotoxicosis- excess thyroxin hormone production in the body) may want to avoid seaweeds in their diet for the same reason.
Its moderate consumption, on the other hand, offers several health benefits that otherwise may not be found in other plant-based diets.
(Medical disclaimer).
≻≻-Back to Seaweeds from Nori seaweed. Visit here for an impressive list of seaweeds with complete illustrations of their nutrition facts and
health benefits.
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Further reading (Links opens in new window):
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Fisheries and Aquaculture Department-A guide to the seaweed industry.
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Cultured Aquatic Species Information Programme, Porphyra spp. PDF.