Wakame

Wakame seaweed is extremely popular in Japan and is loved for it's subtle flavor and slightly chewy texture. It's usually sold dried but when reconstituted in water, swells up into bright green leaves. Wakame is excellent when added to miso soup. Simply one has to soak a teaspoon of the dried seaweed in water and after it swells up (20 minutes), squeeze out the excess water, chop into bite sized pieces and place into small bowls. Ladle the miso soup over the seaweed and it gets ready to be served.

Hijiki

Hijiki is a type of seaweed that has a slight licorice flavor to it. It's sold dry and it's leaves are tiny, black, and brittle. When soaked in water to reconstitute, it wells up to more than twice its original weight into a tender, delectable vegetable.

 

 

NABEMONO

The Japanese are quite fond of nabemono, or "one pot cookery." During mid-autumn when the days start getting colder, these hearty winter meals become common everywhere. The ingredients are usually simmered in deep bowl shaped earthenware pots called donabe. Try purchasing one of these ceramic pots for your kitchen, they come in many sizes and are indispensable for this type of cooking. Some examples are DOTE NABE (oyster, miso hotpot) & YOSE NABE (vegetable and seafood pot).