Dear Reader,

To some, the idea of using sea vegetables in food can seem intimidating, foreign, and frankly sometimes unappealing.

I first made this realization when I was in second grade, attending a public school in New York. Everyone around me began pulling out their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and chicken nuggets, when one of the girls sitting next to me scrunched her nose at my lunch — what is that?

She was referring to my shiso-wakame rice ball wrapped in nori.

Needless to say, I later went home that day and begged my mom for Lunchables and normal kid lunches.

Sea vegetables transformed my health

But what was my discomfort back then has now become one of my greatest strengths, as I now understand the infinite benefits that come with regularly eating sea vegetables. Being able to cook with such a wide variety of produce has shaped my health for the better, and is something I am always very grateful for.

To the folks who don’t want to miss out, let me introduce to you the 'superfood' which are sea vegetables:

Common types of sea vegetables

• Wakame (若布): Green seaweed often used in miso soups or seaweed salads. Wakame actually refers to the leafy part, while kuki-wakame refers to the stem, and mekabu refers to the base near the root.
• Hijiki (鹿尾菜): Black-dark seaweed that comes in small strips. Served hot or cold — used in soups, to top salads or cold tofu, or simmered.
• Kombu (昆布): Type of kelp that is often used in Japanese broths. Sometimes comes chopped and salted, to flavor vegetables like cabbage or fresh cucumber.
• Nori (海苔): Flat sheets of dried seaweed, often used to wrap rice or shredded as a topping to dishes. Is also often eaten alone as a snack.
• Kanten (寒天 aka agar agar): A mineral-rich thickening agent, which is a great vegan-friendly substitute for gelatin. Used in desserts and sauces.

Health benefits of sea vegetables

Sea vegetables are full of phytonutrients and minerals — including, but not limited to calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, and iodine.

These minerals play important roles such as maintaining the structural integrity of our teeth and bones, facilitating proper neurotransmitter activity, fatty acid metabolism and protein synthesis, and delivering oxygen throughout our body.

Of particular interest is iodine, because despite commercially available iodized salt, many people are deficient in this micro-mineral. Iodine is important for synthesizing thyroid hormones, converting types of estrogen, and deficiency can make individuals susceptible to hypothyroidism, or an under active thyroid which leads to a slower metabolism and other health complications (Cleveland Clinic).

This information isn't meant to alarm anyone, but is meant to speak to the value of variety in our diet 😊

​

More variety

→ more robust nutritional profile

→ healthier, happier life.

​

Other sea vegetable benefits:

• Easy to add into your diet (can use as a topping or toss into a soup!)
• Rich in umami flavors
• Relatively low cost
• Often available dried, so doesn't go bad in the pantry

5-Minute Shiso-Wakame Rice Ball

A very easy and beginner-friendly recipe for introducing sea vegetables

Ingredients (4 servings, 8 rice balls)

• 45 grams shiso-wakame soft furikake (about ½ bag)
• 700 grams cooked white rice (about 300g uncooked)
• 8 strips of dried nori; roughly 2 x 3½ inches
• Roasted white sesame seeds to taste (optional)

Instructions

1. Gently mix the soft furikake, white rice, and sesame seeds in a large bowl using a shamoji (Japanese rice paddle) or large spoon.
2. Tear roughly a square of saran wrap, and eyeball about a ⅛th portion of the mixed rice onto it using a spoon or shamoji.
   • If you prefer not to use saran wrap, you can wet your hands in water to prevent sticking. Just make sure your rice has cooled down first!
3. Wrap the rice in the saran wrap, and mold it using your hands.
4. Cup your hands to gently mold the rice into a triangle. You should press firmly so the rice doesn’t fall apart, but you don’t want to squeeze the rice too tightly and lose its fluffiness.
5. Remove the rice from the saran wrap, and take the sheet of nori and wrap it around.
6. Plate it, and enjoy!

I apologize to my younger self, because my mom was right — I learned to appreciate my bento box over the Lunchables in the long run.

​

What other ingredients or practices are you curious to learn about?

Let me know! I read everything that comes my way.

​

Warmly,

Kaki

​

​

Thanks for reading!

If you enjoyed this, please forward this email to your friends and family (or share the article) 🌱

If this email was forwarded to you, it's nice to meet you 😊

​

Follow on Instagram for more health tips, tricks, and inspiration:

​