Seaweed

Hanko Sushi uses three different seaweeds: Wakame, kombu and nori.

Wakame

Wakame (Undaria pinnatifida), one of the brown algae, has a mild taste and a soft texture. It is an important ingredient in Japanese miso soup. Wakame algae can also be used in salads, like ours at Hanko Sushi. The country of origin of the Wakame algae we use is Korea.

Kombu

Kombu (Laminaria japonica) is a brown alga. The comb is first soaked for 20-30 minutes, after which it is boiled for about half an hour. In Japan, kombu is used, for example, to make dashi broth or as a ground spice. It is also used in Chinese and Korean food culture. In Hanko Sushi, we use combu to season rice, vinegar and soy. The country of origin of the kombu alga we use is China.

Nori

Nori is a toasted seaweed sheet to which a sushi roll is wrapped. Sushi rolls are called makisushi. We also use seaweed sheet to make gunkan nigiri. The red algae nori (Porphyra tenera) is Japan’s most popular seaweed, perhaps the best known algal species in Western countries as well. Japan is one of Nori’s largest producing countries. Nori dried into thin sheets and pressed. Nori’s taste intensifies and gets a seafood-like nuance when the algae is roasted in a dry and hot pan for a while. The nori for making sushi is pre-roasted. The country of origin of the nori we use is China.