Nori

Yaki-Nori or Roasted Seaweed is a vital ingredient of the sushi trade, used primarily for Maki and Nigiri. As sushi has become more mainstream, ingredients such as nori have been used across many cuisines. Nori is rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and trace minerals and has a wonderful natural flavor. Yaki-Nori sheets date back to the Edo period where it was first produced following the same techniques used in making paper. Nori grows best at a depth of around 25 feet and is typically grown on nets that can be easily harvested by boats. Each plant takes about 45 days from seed to first harvest and can reharvested about 10 times.

Aonori is a type of edible dried green sea weed flake. It is commonly used for flavoring Japanese foods by sprinkling flakes over the dish. Aonori gives an added seaweed kick to savory Jpanese recipies. Aonori is also used as an ingredient in yaki-soba (fried buckwheat noodles), okonomi-yaki , negi- yaki (Japanese style pancakes), tako-yaki (octopus balls), yaki-udon (fried thick white noodles). Aonori is also a great addition to tororo (shredded Japanese vegetables), natto and rice balls.