SeaweedMinerals are essential for good health but are often overlooked, apart from the obvious iron and calcium. However, people are gradually waking up to the importance of other minerals such as zinc and selenium, but there are around 70 which we need on a regular basis (ideally every day) for optimum health, and it is now accepted that we do not get these from our food in anywhere near the quantity and variety we need, especially since over-farming has further reduced the already low levels in our soil. Seaweed provides an abundance of these minerals, plus other nutrients such as vitamins A and C (especially konbu) and protein (especially nori) - see below. It is also one of the very few non-animal sources of vitamin B12, a lack of which can be dangerous as it leads to pernicious anaemia. Seaweed is therefore very useful for strict vegetarians. It helps to prevent cancer and heart disease, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, and can even prevent ulcers and kill bacteria. It also thins the blood; in one test a chemical from wakame seaweed was shown to be twice as effective as the drug heparin at destroying blood clots. No wonder most Japanese eat seaweed in some form every day! There are several varieties of what can generally be called seaweed, meaning vegetation from the sea. Some people seem to find the idea revolting, but it is no more so than eating cabbage or spinach. As mentioned above, seaweed is one of the healthiest types of food you can eat, containing a wide variety of vital minerals which are often lacking in the normal diet (This includes iodine, however, which we all need but large amounts may not be a good idea if you have thyroid problems, so in this case check with a doctor first). These are the most common varieties of seaweed eaten in Japan:
This is also the most palatable as it is dry and does not have a strong taste. It comes in sheets, looking like dark green paper. These sheets are normally cut or torn into smaller pieces, roughly 3 x 1.5 inches ( 8 x 4cm) and then wrapped around a mouth-size portion of rice. It is best eaten when crisp and dry, so try not to let it get damp. In a good oriental shop you will find different varieties of nori, some with added flavour - best for plain rice - and some more suitable for sushi, where the vinegared rice is rolled up in a larger sheet, usually with small pieces of fish, vegetables, or even egg in the centre, to make a ‘sausage’ which is then cut into slices about an inch (2.5 cm) thick. See the page on sushi for more details.
This type of seaweed is usually in the form of thin pieces, mid-green and not too strong, often eaten in misoshiru (soup) or pickled with vegetables, e.g. thin slices of cucumber in rice vinegar and a little sugar.
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Konbu
