Nori is a Japanese term used to refer to edible varieties of seaweed from the various species of red algae. Its size is small and it can also be eaten raw. In Japan more than 600 km2 of coastline are used to produce tons of this vegetable; Nori production and processing is an advanced form of agriculture and is led by this country followed by China. Seaweed is recognized as a food of great nutritional value. They also provide a touch of sea flavor that is increasingly appreciated and gives a lot of play to gastronomic creations. It contains provitamin A, ideal for maintaining healthy and strong hair, as well as to protect nails against the appearance of stretch marks. Its high content of antioxidant vitamins makes it an essential food for healthy and cared for skin. Recipes: -Nori as a condiment - Nori seaweed salad - Nori balls with rice
The word Nori is used to define products derived from seaweed
Nori is, also a small seaweed, used in Japan mostly known to roll nigiri and sushi
This algae takes a large side of the coastline, more than 600 km² it really is an advanced form of agriculture for cultivation, which has spread all over the world
What does Nori seaweed give us? Mainly its great nutritional value, minerals, iodine, large doses of protein and vitamins
Its is appreciated in the International cuisine due to its flavor, its curious texture and is also used as a condiment
Open the doors to the ocean and let it in your life, it is full of wonders, including alage as a superfood
Did you know Nori algae grow in all oceans ? from cold to warm temperatures
Did you know this algae can be eaten fresh? Of course, it must be eaten during the day because they rust quickly
Did you know that the Noris´s history is old and there are texts from the 8th century that speak of this algae as a way to pay taxes? This is Orlando, who is a diver gatherer
He brought some amazing things from the bottom of the sea, he just collected Wakame seaweed, Nori seaweed, Kombu seaweed
how long are you under water to collect these products? We normally work at very shallow sea depths
We spend hours
Well, sometimes it takes 3 hours and sometimes more to get the ones we need
This is all wild, isn't this? Everything is wild, there is nothing cultivated
This is an annual algae and it is tough
Take Wakame for example, which is the one we collect the most this lasts kept in water, for 2 months
3 months at most
which is a lot, then it breaks down and goes away and comes out again
When the water temperature is optimal, as soon as it rises a bit, it breaks down and no longer comes out
As soon as it returns, the water temperature will drop again and it comes back
and that's it
the problem we have here is the storms, this is a really weak algae and the storms takes away when they arrive
When is the harvest season? From the middle of January more or less until
June, July, more or less
Can they be eaten raw? Yes, absolutely
You told me this is Nori, right? They´re saltier
they taste better
Maybe this one is less salty
Let's see
This is Wakame
Oh, ok
Wakeme! Mmm, they are delicious huh
You see, it tastes good
Both of them do
How long do they last out of the water? I mean, you have to consume this during the day, don't you? If you take them fresh
Yes, well
like any other vegetable, it will last about 4 days in the fridge or in the refrigerator
Normally, what we do now is
the company that takes it, dries it out and lasts longer
Years?
Yes, they dehydrates it, making it lasts for 5 or 6 years in perfect condition
As soon as put it in water it becomes the same seaweed as it were in the sea
that's it
and can you buy it fresh? Well
maybe
maybe not
but it's not usual to find it fresh, to be honest
The company we normally work with, buys lots of kilos
as a wholesale and takes it to dehydrate
How many kilos do you pick up a day ? Well 500 kg per person, right now we are 3 people, so it is 1500 kg
What does algae mean for you? Well, algae means everything
thanks to it I bring home the bacon
and also, it's what I eat sometimes
That's great! it contains provitamin A, keeps hair strong and healthy, has a high antioxidant power, has a large amount of carotenoids, is rich in calcium and iodine, prevents cell aging, is rich in potassium, helps eliminate fluids
You can find wild Nori on the seashores, It also grows wild on rocks or in the shells of mussels, limpets, different mollusks
You will recognize it because you take it in Japanese restaurants, it's the seaweed that wraps sushi, making a roll with a specific technique
It has two faces, this is the way it is sold
It is compressed, it has sides, one is much rougher and the other is slightly smoother, especially brighter
What else can we to do with Nori? Not only can you take it in sushi or with rice but you can also turn it into a fantastic condiment for soups, stews, salads, almost anything you want
What do you have to do? it is quite simple
Light the fire and toast the seaweed
Give temperature to your stove, a fire cooker would be ideal, honestly, but if you don't have one, it's ok
Now, take the brighter side and bring it closer to the fire, the brighter side is easily spotted
Don't stick it into it, otherwise it will get burn
It's is quite easy take one corner at a time, be careful not to burn your fingers
Until you see it starts to change color from black turns into a deep and bright green, it will also get rougher and rougher
Don't turn it around, always keep the bright side down until it is completely green
Once the algae is completely green, it is ready
It's striking how it has changed color, but what will really give you perspective is comparing it to the previous algae
wait, I'll get one
So you can see there is a really big difference
Equilicuá! Green square, black square
It's really funny, it's like a process in reverse, one would think that putting something on the fire would turn black but with the algae, which are magic, we get a beautiful green sheet
Now, what do we do with this? Chop it up, it's a bit like paper and crumble it over the soup, here I have a soup
Why is this green color so intense? Nori has a lot of chlorophyll therefore the presence of antioxidants is clear, provides us with minerals, iodine
You could even roast several Nori seaweeds, take them in a small jar and crumble them to make your own seasoning, you may add a pinch of salt for extra flavor
And here it is, it smells like the sea
Delicious
You can also take Nori in salads, I'm going to give you two tips: when you take it dry, as we did a little while ago, in condiment, in salad, always toast it first
if you are going to add water, if you are going to make sushi or the recipe I will tell you next, then you can take it raw
You will understand this tip much better, in a minute
Right now I have the green Nori, I have it toasted because I'm going to make a salad
First, put endive sliced cucumber, red cabbage, green apple lemon and extra virgin olive oil to make dressing
That's it, it is quite simple
We have endive which is a green leaf that I love
There are many green leaves that are much more interesting than lettuce, There is red cabbage, spinach, watercress, which has a lot of iron and folic acid, then there is rucola, which is wonderful and has many medicinal properties, so go ahead and put another type of leaves in your salads because you will notice it in your body
Once we have the endive we will add color, the red cabbage, which is also a superfood, it has a slightly spicy taste if you smell it, it reminds you of broccoli, of radish even, that is because these vegetables are family
Cucumber
It has a lot of water, it is a very hydrating food, delicious, mild flavor and as contrast we add apple
Green apple that in addition to being sweet, is a bit sour and mixes really well with vegetables, that's another thing you can do, add fruit to your salads, you'll see their benefits in colors, sensations, everything
Apples too
Now, how do you bring Nori into this salad? Well, grab the scissors, the toasted seaweed, and you can make thin strips cutting up, and also work as decoration as well
Play with it, you can make shapes, stars or just drop them randomly, like this they look beautiful
What will Nori bring? A sea touch, color also, a lot of scent, it smells as soon as you cut it, and it's incredible
As a condiment is another way to use Nori
Although you can increase the amount in salads
It really is an ingredient with a lot of presence, and it's because of its flavor its texture
One more and we move on to the dressing
It's quite easy, olive oil, lemon, a wooden stick, break and squeeze with the hand, watch out for the eyes, Salt to taste and mix
Until the salt melts and now you can season the salad
The lemon twist is fabulous, since it enhances the taste of apple, of cucumber
A beautiful salad with Nori
Finally I will show you a way to eat raw Nori
Linking with the previous recipe, in which I explained you could take it toasted or not it is easy to spot as the toasted is bright green
Now, when do we use it without toasting? When we are going to moisten and hydrate the algae
The following recipe is to side other dishes, You can cook white or brown rice, as I did and it is about using Nori to wrap the rice in another way
For example if you make fish, meat or a dish with tofu and you want to side it with rice instead of placing it on a side, you can make wrapped rice balls in Nori and it will look beautiful on the plate, besides you'd be including this superfood´s property
Let's go, quite simple, have a bowl of water, a bowl of rice and a plate to put the result
And you will moisten the alga, you can do it in either side the rough one or the bright one, whichever you prefer
It is taking texture
using your fingers
gently
if you soak it it will dissolve, so this has to be carefully done and once you notice that it changed the texture put it aside, wet your fingers to take the rice and make a small ball with it
If you make brown rice keep in mind that it is harder and sticks less
Take small amounts and then put it inside the seaweed, clean your hands to start closing it
Wrap it as if it were a gift, one tip then other, and other
And clean your hands, this is a bit complicated but if you have kids it can be really fun, because they love playing and being creatives
The algae is sticking properly and here is your rice ball It was quite simple, wasn't it? You can do as many as you want, you can do 3, 10 and even you could wrap this in sesame seeds which is going to give them a pretty fun presentation and have them, as I said, to side dishes
As you can see Nori seaweed, in addition to sushi, can be innovative worth having in your kitchen
We review the 3 recipes: We have used it as a condiment for soups, for stews, for any kind of soup
We have also made a salad, it is a beautiful decorative element as well as providing many properties, in this case thousands of minerals that will come in handy for you
As a side wrapping rice balls, this is more like the sushi recipe, Nori seaweed is also suitable for athletes, since it has large doses of potassium that help maintain the balance of body fluids and those minerals I was talking about a moment ago it is also suitable for people with high wear and tear, osteoporosis problems, the elderly, nursing moms and even pregnancy
Nori seaweed can really revolutionize your diet, your cooking, because it is a superfood
Audio:
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