Nori

Are you familiar with the word “Nori”? It is a type of seaweed which is cultivated widely in Japan. It is made from a special type of red algae called Porphyra. You will find Nori sheets easily in Asian markets. If you have tried sushi once, you probably already know what it is but you are not aware of the name. Nori is that thin, dark green editable sheet which is wrapped around the sushi.

The Japanese culture is dominated by seafood and seaweeds and it comprises a significant portion of their diet. There are many types of seaweeds which the Japanese people consume happily, but nori is the most popular. Moreover, nori has been an important part of the Japanese dietary regime for the past 1300 years. Formerly, it was available in a paste like form, but modern day nori comes in thin green crunchy sheets. Nori is popular in the western countries as an ingredient for making sushi; you can make different types of sushi using nori sheets such as sushi rolls, nigir, or gunkanmaki. In fact, making sushi at home is easier these days just because of these dry seaweed sheets! You buy a pack of nori from the nearest Asian market. If you feel the nori sheets, you will discover that one of the sides is rough. You lay the rough side facing upwards and spread moist rice and any fish of your choice over the sheet. Roll the sheet and cut it into small pieces. There, you have your own homemade sushi!

Health Benefits of Nori

You might be amazed with the health benefits that come from consuming nori:

Decreases risk of cholesterol: According to studies, nori can help you stabilize your cholesterol level. This is because nori has a lot of omega 3 fatty acids infused in it
Lowers risk of cancer: Nori contains ample amounts of antioxidants including vitamin C. This can cancel out the effects of cancer causing radicals. Regular consumption of nori can lower the risk of breast cancer in women
Contains a lot of protein: Nori is rich in protein. Your body will get about 30 to 50 grams of protein from just 100 grams of nori!
Rich in iron: 100 grams of nori contains enough iron necessary for your daily intake. Just snack on a sheet of nori and your daily iron intake is good to go

Stock Up Nori in Your Pantry

There are many other ways of using nori, so there is always a reason to keep a stock pile of it in case you ever get creative:

Add it to soup: You can add a little bit of crunch to your soup by adding thin ribbon-like strings of nori. Though the crunch might go away if it fully soaks in the soup
Seasoning: You can season a lot of bland dishes by mixing in a bit of nori and sesame seeds on top. In addition, it acts as a garnish to make your dish look professional!
Snacks: You can make yourself some nori chips at home. Just put it in the oven to crisp the nori sheets a little more to get that extra crunch

This is perfect Nori for rolling all kinds of amazing Maki-Sushi. Large Desiccant Packet included to keep this nori fresh. If you need help rolling sushi you can visit our Sushi Guide

While there are many different varieties of seaweeds used for consumption, Nori is by far the most commonly known and used seaweed on the market. Nori, in more technical terms, is red algae from the Porphyra genus.

Japan is the major supplier of Nori, and other types of seaweed, in the world. With a lack of arable and available land to grow crops for its population, Japan has long looked to the see as a source for food. Seaweed in general has been consumed in Japan since 600-800 AD, though at that time it was mostly eaten by Japanese nobility. More universal consumption began between 1600-1800 AD when the shogun of that time ordered fishermen to bring him fish daily. Seaweed grew on the fence of the fish farm, and thus the seaweed farming industry began. Nori sheets themselves were also invented during this time in Edo (former Tokyo) using the same method they use to make Japanese papers.

The farming of nori, and other types of seaweed, of course, takes place in the sea. Nori grows at a depth of about 25 feet. Farmers use nets to grow the Porphyra plants on while operating and working from boats. It usually takes about 45 days after seeding for the first harvest to occur and then after that multiple harvests can take place about every 10 days. Farmers use heavy machinery to harvest the plants. They are then made into sheets by a process of shredding and rack-drying that is similar to the one used in papermaking. The result is what you often see in stores: a pack of paper thin, dark colored, dried sheets of nori which are approximately 18 x 20 cm and 3 grams in weight.

Porphyra plants have become so popular that porphyra cultivation is the second largest sub-industry in Japanese aqua farming with a production of 10,326 million nori sheets in 1998. The total production value of nori is about $2 billion per year when valued in US currency.

Nori can be bought either in raw or toasted form. If you buy it in raw form, you will need to toast it before putting it to use. Nori will be crispy and will have a salty taste.

There are many uses for Nori. While kombu seaweed is used most often for soup or nabe dishes and wakame is used for soups and sunomono salads, nori is used in sushi dishes, for rice balls, and as part of noodle and other dishes.

There are different varieties of sushi, and nori is used in many of them. When sushi is wrapped in a nori sheet, it is called “maki” or a “maki roll.” Nigiri-zushi is a popular type of sushi where wasabi and another topping (such as seafood) is laid on top of packed rice and often thinly wrapped with a nori strip. In gunkan-maki nori along with sushi rice is made into a bowl and is filled with seafood or other food items.

With temaki sushi the nori sheet is formed into the shape of a cone and can be filled with rice, vegetables, and seafood. There are many more types of sushi that use nori. If you have ever eaten sushi at a restaurant that is wrapped in seaweed, you have eaten nori.

Onigiri, or rice balls, also use nori sheets. Onigiri is similar to sushi except that it does not use vinegar. It is often in triangle or oval shapes, filled with rice and other ingredients, and wrapped in nori sheets. Nori is also often used in noodle dishes and soup as a garnish and it can even be bought toasted and flavored.

Not only is nori delicious to eat, but according to scientists, it is healthy to eat, too! Nori is high in fiber, protein, minerals, and vitamins. It is high in calcium, zinc, and lignans, which is said to help reduce the risk of cancer. It also contains iodine and is low in fat. However, it is high in sodium, so anyone on a low sodium diet will need to take care when eating much nori.

Another possible use for our Nori is to feed it to saltwater aquarium fish and algae eaters such as hermit crabs. Because our nori is loaded with minerals and vitamins, marine aquarists started using nori to feed saltwater herbivores. Nori is healthy for both humans and/or your hermit crabs and reef tanks and any algae eaters. Nori contains many Vitamins and Minerals and is also a good source of Protein and Carbohydrates.

Whether you love to eat nori in sushi and rice balls or prefer to feed it to your fish, dried nori will keep very well over long periods of time, providing it is stored wrapped, air tight, and in a cool, dry place. Bon Appétit!