Seaweed Love: Nori, Wakame, Konbu

Nori is easily the most common kind of seaweed in Japan and outside of Japan. If you've ever eaten sushi, you've tried nori. Nori is the thin, dark, flat seaweed that looks like paper. It's salty and delicious with a crunchy texture. It is very rich in Vitamin A & C, and calcium, zinc, iodine and iron. Try to buy good quality nori made sprinkle it on top of almost any meal.

Another commonly used seaweed is Wakame Wakame is an edible kelp that is found most often in miso soup and salads. Wakame is usually purchased in a dried form and soaked in water before eating. Wakame is only cultivated in the Pacific ocean. It is so good for you! Wakame helps lower blood pressure and reduces cholesterol intake. Wakame also contains alginic acid and fukodein, two things that fight against viruses causing stomach ulcers and cancer. In case you needed more reasons to eat this delicious vegetable, wakame is also rich with quality protein, unsaturated fatty acid and vitamins like Vitamin A.

Konbu is my favorite kind of seaweed. It is a dark kind that is sold in strips. Konbu is so delicious. Vegetarian dashi (soups stock) is made from Konbu and you can use it in almost every Japanese dish as a great veggie base. Konbu is an excellent source of calcium, magnesium, folate, and contains protein and dietary fiber. Unfortunately, it also usually is processed with tons of MSG so check the labels before you buy it. Another interesting konbu statistic is that Okinawa consumes the largest amount of Kombu, per resident, per day, and has the lowest rate of deaths related to Cancer in all of Japan.