Quick Japanese Rice Seasoning - Nori Komi Furikake (2024)

FAQs

How to use nori komi furikake? ›

As a seasoning: A tablespoon of furikake can breathe new life into a bowl of ramen, miso soup, or stew. Use it to season a bowl of white rice or onigiri (rice balls). 2. As a garnish: Use furikake as a garnish for savory grain porridge, steamed or fried fish, and roasted vegetables.

Furikake is packed with calcium, making it an excellent choice for addressing calcium deficits. Plus, the seasoning provides a good source of vitamins like vitamin D, while the nori offers a beneficial dose of iodine. Furikake is also a source of protein, contributing to a balanced diet.

Checking furikake freshness can be tricky because it doesn't spoil in the typical sense. However, its quality deteriorates. You need to look for signs like color fading, dull aroma, and decreased flavor intensity. If it has absorbed moisture and clumps together or develops an off odor, it's time to toss it out.

Nori Komi Furikake is a Japanese rice seasoning blend that consists of dried seaweed flakes (nori) mixed with other ingredients such as sesame seeds, salt, and sugar. It's known for its intense umami flavor and is commonly used as a topping for rice.

As such, the most well-known and accepted way of using furikake is to tear open a sachet and sprinkle it over a serving of rice, whether that be hot, steamed rice fresh from the rice cooker/saucepan, cold rice from the night before, or rice that is going into a bento box for lunch.

The rice and the furikake alone is delicious but you will want to use this as a base to add protein, fiber and veggies to make a complete meal. We will typically top the rice with things like edamame, cubed raw or pan-fried tofu, a fried egg or jammy boiled egg, and grilled veggies.

The latter is commonly used when making onigiri rice balls for bento box lunches, as the mixed rice remains tasty even after the rice cools down. Furikake are further categorized into dry types, which have a long shelf-life, and soft, moist varieties, which typically require refrigeration after opening.

Mixing furikake with rice and shaping it into onigiri (rice balls) is another popular way to enjoy this Japanese rice seasoning. This kind of rice ball is easy to make and delicious, perfect for eating with other dishes in a bento (Japanese lunch box) or enjoying it alone.

Early studies have found a link between seaweed intake and a lower risk for heart disease. Some findings indicate that polyphenols, compounds found in seaweed, could help lower blood pressure, LDL or “bad” cholesterol, and total cholesterol levels.

Most of the store-bought furikake contain M.S.G; even if health concerns surrounding M.S.G. have been disproven, I still consider it cheating to use it: The key ingredients of furikake are already intensely umami—they don't need a synthetic boost, just a pinch of salt and sugar.

What is furikake in English? ›

The Japanese word furikake comes from the verb furikakeru, which, translated into English, means to sprinkle. This name perfectly defines the purpose of this dry seasoning, which is sprinkled directly on dishes as a spice, especially on white rice, but also on stews, soups, fish and pasta.

Refrigerated (Best All Round, Best Flavor)

First and foremost, storing nori in the fridge is your best bet. Make sure to press out the air before sealing your bag shut, and place that bag inside another. A silica sachet should be placed in with the nori to absorb excess moisture or condensation.

The ingredients used in furikake are not unhealthy. But, you should be careful not to overuse it. It does have a lot of salt in it from the soy sauce and the seasoned seaweed. People who are monitoring their cholesterol levels should know that this is a very salty seasoning.

As you can see from its origin story, furikake is high in many vital nutrients. As previously mentioned, that includes calcium, but it's also high in protein, iodine, iron, and other minerals. Considering the combination of health benefits and depth of flavor, it's easy to see why furikake is so popular!

Furikake and Umami

"The bonito flakes add umami [and] nori seaweed brings a mix of salty and savory tastes, while the sesame seeds offer nuttiness and added crunch," says Cheung. According to Taing, each of those ingredients contributes to the umami magic—but it's the amalgamation that delivers.

Use Nori as a topping for warm or cold rice bowls, Asian noodle dishes, or salads. Nori Omelet – Crumble or cut the Nori into small pieces and combine it with eggs. Adding salt, pepper, finely chopped red pepper and scallions, and grated Parmesan cheese to the mixture before cooking on the pan.

You can use Everyday Seaweed Seasoning on pretty much anything! It is particularly good sprinkled on fish, shellfish, and steaks. Add a generous spoonful to melted butter for you own seaweed butter with a huge hit of flavour.