Guide Note

Nori is a dried Japanese seaweed sheet used in food. Good nori should have a uniform thickness, a crisp texture, and a noticeable scent. It should also be shiny. Nori for sushi is pre-toasted; other nori should be toasted before cooking to improve flavor and make it easier to digest.

Fast Facts

1. Edible seaweed
2. 45% protein
3. High in vitamin A, niacin and thiamine
4. Strains: Porphyra yezoensis and Porphyra tenera
5. Also called: Haitai, kim, gim
6. Used to wrap sushi
7. Harvested from: Tokyo Bay, Kobe Bay, Ariake Bay
8. Farmed on nets kept just below ocean surface
9. Seeding to first harvest: 45 days
10. Other Japanese seaweeds: Wakame, kombu

The seaweed used to make nori is harvested from the ocean. After washing, the seaweed is shredded. It is pressed between reed mats and dried, forming sheets.