How to cook dried seaweed?

Different types of seaweed are widely used in Asian cuisine, so the question of how to cook seaweed and wakame seaweed often worries Japanese cuisine enthusiasts. Today we will be happy to tell you about all the subtleties!

Sea cabbage preparation

How are seaweed and wakame made? The suitable seaweed is gathered either by hand or with the aid of specialized equipment. It must then be promptly dried or preserved since their high moisture content makes them susceptible to spoilage. Consequently, seaweed is typically sold in dried form, requiring rehydration before cooking to restore its shape and color. Most often, they are soaked for a certain time, which we will write about below.

• How to cook seaweed:

The kelp is soaked for about 3 hours, pouring warm water in a ratio of 1:20. Before that, it is better to cut dry leaves into portions, as their volume increases 13 times. The swollen seaweed is washed and boiled for several minutes, after which it is ready for consumption.

• How to prepare wakame:

The seaweed is poured with warm water or broth in a ratio of 1:10 for about a quarter of an hour, after which it is immersed in very cold water, you can even add ice cubes – this is how it keeps its bright emerald color. It swells, increasing in size by 4-5 times, and becomes soft, slightly slippery, retaining its crunch.

What can be cooked from dried seaweed?

There are many options for preparing these products. We will share with you the best ones, tested in practice!

How to cook kelp:

• Dry crushed seaweed is used as a substitute for salt in soups and side dishes.
• It enhances the flavors of delicious salads when combined with vegetables, mushrooms, eggs, cheese, and various spices.
• Sea cabbage is stewed with vegetables to serve as a side dish to meat or fish. It is often added to dishes made from beans or other legumes so that they are better digested.
• Many traditional Asian soups are prepared on the basis of kelp broth.
• These algae are frequently utilized in dessert preparations such as marshmallows, jams, and marmalades that include pectin.

How to cook wakame:

• They make excellent dishes for raw food eaters: pates, Chuko salad, vegetable salads with nuts, tofu, sesame and various spices.
• These algae are suitable for vegans and vegetarians – they are a great substitute for fish in various salads, complementing noodles and adding an original taste to the rice. If you add them during cooking, they will make vegetable stew more interesting.
• Broths made with wakame serve as an excellent basis for a variety of oriental soups.

The benefits of kelp algae

Cooking sea cabbage at least several times a week is a great contribution to your health, because it has such useful properties:

• Enhances digestion, aids in body cleansing, and promotes weight loss;
• Provides the body with iodine, preventing thyroid gland disorders;
• Helps reduce the level of “bad cholesterol”, strengthens blood vessels, prevents the appearance of atherosclerosis;
• Improves skin condition.

Wakame is also very useful for the body:

• Improves the condition of the cardiovascular system;
• Due to the high content of calcium, it has a beneficial effect on the condition of the bones;
• Improves hormonal balance;
• Helps normalize weight;

Now you know how to cook seaweed. All that remains is to purchase kelp or wakame seaweed and start experimenting!