NORI CONDIMENT

There’s something magical about sea vegetables — those vibrant greens, reds, and browns swaying gently beneath the waves. For generations, coastal communities have gathered them not only for their taste but also for the quiet strength they bring to our plates. These ocean plants are bursting with minerals like iodine, magnesium, and iron, and they’re rich in vitamins A, C, and B12. These minerals play a vital role throughout our bodies — supporting the nervous system, blood vessels, strong bones and teeth, healthy skin, shiny hair, and resilient nails. They help nourish us from within, sustaining energy, balance, and vitality — a true reminder that good food doesn’t just grow on land.

Among these sea treasures, nori is perhaps the most beloved. You might know it as the paper-thin sheet wrapped around sushi, but before it reaches your kitchen, it spends its life dancing between tides. Nori grows on nets along the coastline, soaking up sunlight at low tide and minerals from the sea when the water returns. Once harvested, it’s carefully washed, finely chopped, and pressed into delicate sheets — much like handmade paper — then dried or gently toasted to bring out its deep, savoury aroma.

What makes nori so special is not just its nutrition — though it’s full of protein, healthy fats, and trace minerals — but its flavour: a soft, ocean-kissed umami that enhances almost anything it touches.

In the following recipe, we’ll transform humble nori sheets into a fragrant, versatile nori condiment that you can enjoy as a side dish with rice, vegetables, salads, or pasta. Take a moment to make it, taste it, share it — and let the sea surprise you with how deliciously alive it can be. Let’s begin.


NORI CONDIMENT RECIPE

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4 portions
(1 cup = 250 ml)

You will need:

• 4 sheets of nori * (roasted or unroasted)

• 1 tablespoon nama shoyu Yamaki * or tamari Marumata *

• 2 tablespoons mirin * or 1 tablespoon apple concentrate

• 1/2 teaspoon genmai su (brown rice vinegar) * or 1/2 teaspoon apple balsamic *

• ¼ cup spring water

• 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds *
  
  

* Ingredients available from Tampopo Foods


Step by Step

1. Roast the sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for a few minutes, stirring continuously until they’re round and light golden brown. Transfer the seeds to a bowl and set aside.

2. Tear the nori into small, postage-stamp-sized pieces and place them in a small pan over medium heat.

3. Add the liquids: shoyu, mirin (or apple concentrate), vinegar (or balsamic), and water. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the nori has absorbed the liquid. The texture should remain soft and slightly chewy — not mushy.

4. Serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with sesame seeds.
   
   
   Tips

• You can prepare a larger batch — for example, triple the recipe — and store it in a jar with a tightly closed lid in the refrigerator. Add the sesame seeds just before serving to keep them crisp.

• Feel free to experiment with variations: add a touch of fresh ginger juice, lemon, or orange zest, or even a few drops of yuzu * for a bright citrus note.

• Try swapping the white sesame seeds for other nuts or seeds such as pine nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, birch seeds, pumpkin seeds *, or sunflower seeds *.

• Choose our tamari Marumata * instead of shoyu for the gluten-free version.

Enjoy — and taste the ocean’s quiet magic in every bite.


SHOP HERE for your Tampopo Foods ingredients.