Superfoods - Nori

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