Seaweed is a staple ingredient in classic Japanese dishes, like miso soup and stewed vegetables. Some seaweeds used to be eaten only in certain regions, but are now consumed more widely. The way we consume seaweed is also changing: it is now used in bread and chocolate.

In early October, an event was held at Nihombashi Mitsukoshi main store in Tokyo’s Chuo district, to showcase the appeal of various seaweeds. Customers were seen enjoying ramen topped with generous portions of five kinds of seaweed.

The five were crunchy waka hijiki, mirin, which has a firm texture, reddish tosaka nori, which becomes gooey when cooked, suji aonori, which releases an aroma in the steam of the hot soup, and atsuba aosa , which enhances the flavor of dishes. with its unique sweet and sour taste. The five seaweeds, cooked to retain their texture and taste, are species whose stocks are dwindling or which are generally only consumed in certain regions.

Many customers were surprised to try unfamiliar seaweed. “I had never tried certain seaweeds before. But I liked their texture,” said a 45-year-old company employee from Tokyo.

Start-up Sea Potato Co., based in Kochi Prefecture, provided the seaweed for the event. Founded in 2016, the company has successfully mass-produced suji aonori seaweed in the prefecture, which is in steep decline, using land-based agriculture.

The company then increased the stock of mirin algae through marine farming. Seaweed, which was popular in parts of southern Kyushu, has declined sharply.

Sea Vegetable has participated in the cultivation of more than 30 kinds of seaweed in various regions. The company also sells products online such as dried tosaka nori seaweed, which is easy to use at home, and waka hijiki, or rare young domestic hijiki seaweed.

Algae production and consumption are in decline. Japan’s seaweed consumption fell to about 110,000 tons in fiscal 2022 from about 210,000 tons in fiscal 1992, due to changes in eating habits and other reasons, according to statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

Algae production has also declined by up to 70% in 30 years to around 60,000 tonnes in 2022. This is due to reasons such as rising sea temperatures and damage from sea urchins, which feed on algae.

“Increased demand for seaweed and subsequent increase in seaweed cultivation will expand the seaweed beds where fish live, leading to deeper marine resources,” said Daisuke Okada, a culinary expert from algae which develops products for sea vegetables.

Used in bread, chocolate

Bread It Be, a bakery in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, sold Nagisa no ryusutikku, or rustic hard bread made by mixing tosaka nori and two other kinds of seaweed. The taste of seaweed and rock salt creates an appetizing bread.

“The flavor of the bread comes out more when it’s toasted. It’s also good as a snack with alcohol,” said store owner Ryota Morita.

Minamiise Marine Bio Co., which operates a land-based seaweed farm in Mie Prefecture, will begin taking orders for its Chao, a chocolate sold only in winter, in mid-November, in time to be delivered for Saint -Valentine. The product, made with white chocolate and suji aonori seaweed, is lightly salted and costs ¥1,150.

Nomura Suisan Co., based in Hakodate, uses seaweed that was not previously consumed as food in Japan. Dulse, which grows in the Pacific coastal areas of Hokkaido, Tohoku and other areas, is considered a nuisance because it grows in places such as kombu kelp cultivation ropes. But the company highlights the fact that it is considered a highly nutritious food in the United States and European countries.

In 2017, the company launched dulse tsukudani. Tsukudani, a dish in which food is simmered in soy sauce and other ingredients, is simply seasoned but leaves a strong taste of the ocean in the mouth.

“In order to get more people to eat seaweed, it is important to provide a new food culture by cooking seaweed from different regions with various ingredients or using it in various dishes, rather than just enjoying kombu or nori well known in traditional cuisine. way,” Okada said.

1,500 species in Japan

There are about 13,000 known species of algae worldwide, of which 1,500 grow in Japan, according to Taiju Kitayama, who studies algae at the botanical research department of the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tsukuba, Japan Prefecture. ‘Ibaraki.

About 30 of the 1,500 species are distributed nationwide as food, and there are few countries where seaweed is consumed as much as in Japan, Kitayama said.

Recent technological innovations in cultivation and conservation have led to the spread of regional food algae. For example, Akamoku seaweed, traditionally consumed mainly in coastal areas of the Sea of ​​Japan, has attracted attention.

“With new species still being discovered, the world of algae is truly deep,” Kitayama said. “It is also possible that new seaweed dishes will spread from local areas and attract attention. Consumption of seaweed will also improve human health and preserve the marine environment.