Nori seaweed

Nori has been part of Japanese cuisine for centuries. For a long time, the seaweed was only gathered from rocks at low tide, until people began forming it into paper-thin sheets, inspired by traditional papermaking. Today, it grows on nets in Japan’s coastal waters and is harvested during the cold winter months, dried and then briefly roasted at high heat. It’s the roasting that gives these nori sheets their crisp bite, deep green sheen and a sea-fresh aroma with nutty notes. Nori is naturally rich in umami compounds, which give it its characteristic savoury, well-rounded flavour.

Homemade sushi doesn’t have to be complicated. With our guide to rolling sushi, you can make Maki and Uramaki in your own kitchen. But nori sheets can do much more: cut into thin strips or crumbled, they add a savoury finish to ramen, salmon bowls, scrambled eggs, buttery pasta or baked potatoes. If you like to experiment, knead nori flakes into bread dough or savoury baked goods, or use them as the cone for Tuna Temaki. If you don’t use all 10 sheets at once, store the rest airtight, dry and away from light.

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