In the kitchen
Using Seaweed
Sea vegetables are among the most versatile ingredients in the kitchen — as broths, seasonings, salads, snacks, and hidden mineral boosters in everyday cooking.
Start simple. Go deep.
The best way to begin with seaweed is to start with one variety and one technique. Toast a sheet of nori. Add a strip of kombu to your next pot of beans. Rehydrate some wakame in cold water and dress it with sesame oil. Each of these takes minutes and opens a door to a whole new dimension of flavor and nourishment.
What follows are the foundational techniques and recipes we return to again and again — the ones that make seaweed a natural part of everyday cooking rather than a special occasion ingredient.
Getting started
A few things to know
A little goes a long way
Dried seaweed is concentrated — it expands significantly when rehydrated and its flavors are intense. Start with small amounts and build from there.
Store it dry and dark
Dried seaweed keeps for a year or more in an airtight container away from light and moisture. Once rehydrated, use within a day or two.
Don't boil kombu
Simmering kombu gently extracts its umami and minerals beautifully. Boiling it makes the broth bitter and slimy. Remove it before the water reaches a full boil.
Cold water rehydration
Most seaweeds rehydrate best in cold or room-temperature water — not hot. Five to ten minutes is usually enough. Save the soaking water for broths and soups.
Recipes
Five places to start
The ocean in your kitchen.
Every time you cook with wild seaweed, you bring a little of the Pacific coast to your table — its minerals, its depth, its ancient nourishment.