Nori - what is this? How to prepare nori at home

The most famous dish of Japanese cuisine is sushi. One of the main ingredients of this dish is nori. These are special algae, which are used to prepare many dishes. But most often they are used to create rolls. Externally, the nori are rectangular leaves. They can have a brown, reddish or dark green color. The shade of the plant affects the taste of the final delicacy. In addition to the Land of the Rising Sun, this product is grown in Korea and China. Algae are piquant, special taste and in some countries are considered a real exotic.

Excursion to the history

Nori is a product, which is mentioned for the first time in the Japanese chronicles, dating back to the VIII century. It was the code of Taiho, and it was said that the emperor had the right to collect from his subjects tribute to products, among which were these leaves. In the 980s, nori turn into ordinary Japanese for ordinary people.

Today, nori are sheets of dried and compressed seaweed. In this form, they appeared much later, because for a long time they were not dried, but simply milled to pasty consistency. To produce such sheets, to which we are accustomed, began after applying to the paste technology for the production of paper.

The Americans, who first came to Japan in the nineteenth century, thought that the people here were eating black paper. And this was just the dried seaweed of red color. Industrial method of nori began to be made in one of the districts of Tokyo - Asakus. The dried delicacy was initially quite expensive. And the nori themselves were collected from the stones only at the low tide of the sea. But in the late 1940s, scientists developed a method of growing plants artificially.

Classification

Nori, the photo of which we place in the article, is divided into three varieties - A, B and C. The highest grade is A. It is very strong and plastic sheets with a deep green tone with a golden tint and even structure.

The other two varieties are much inferior in quality to the previous version. These algae can be easily distinguished by shade. It can be pale green, reddish or reddish with small gaps. Such sheets are characterized by low strength: they can crack when twisting the fillings in them.

Whatever sort of nori was purchased, they should be stored in a sealed package, in a dry and dark place.

Homemade Cooking

Unfortunately, it is impossible to grow nori at home. They are brought only from far abroad, and the domestic consumer purchases them in the store in the finished form. Or, more precisely, in semi-finished, for the taste and shape of rolls and sushi depend on the correct preparation of algae. Therefore, after buying a supermarket, nori needs to be prepared at home correctly for further use.

So, after the nori sheet is removed from the package, it must be heated very quickly on the fire from both sides. To do this, the sheet should be kept in a horizontal position and warmed evenly along its entire length. The whole procedure is done on the lowest possible heat. Algae is cooked after two to three seconds. As a result, it will become crisp and crispy. Nori can not be grilled.

Varieties and cooking

In Japan, the most popular are the following sushi sheets:

• Nori-maki - not only rolls and sushi are made from them, but also such dishes as mochi (rice cakes) and onigiri (rice balls). This species of algae is a thin compressed squares of a square shape, reaching a length of 25 centimeters. Plants used to create nori-maki, washed and cut into small pieces. Then they are dried in the hot sun, laid out on special frames of bamboo. When sushi is prepared, the stuffing for them is laid out on the matte side of the poppy.
• Yaki-nori - they are subsequently obtained by frying algae sheets. This procedure is performed in order to enhance the flavor and taste. Yaki Nori is a part of many second courses and snacks. Also from this plant variety you can make a stunningly delicious base for soups. To prepare a saturated broth, simply fill in the yaki with hot water. Nutritious food is recommended for vegetarians and individuals who adhere to dietary nutrition.
• Ava Nori is a seasoning for Japanese noodles. After wiping green sheets, you can get delicious avanori.

Composition, benefit and harm

Nori are algae containing vitamins A and C, vegetable proteins, carbohydrates, and also minerals: phosphorus, calcium, iron and iodine. Food prepared on the basis of algae is very important for individuals who suffer from a lack of iodine in the body. Also, the product is useful for those who have a high percentage of cholesterol in their blood and problems with the functioning of the immune system.

Use nori advise in cases where there are diseases of the thyroid gland, varicose veins and atherosclerosis. Plants are also useful for strengthening the cardiovascular system.

Although nori and are extremely useful, they still should not be used by people who do not tolerate iodine, and pregnant girls.

What to cook

For cooking something exotic housewives are increasingly using recipes with nori. With this component you can make, for example, very delicious canape of crab sticks. In addition to a single sheet of algae, you will need wheat bread or a loaf, 120 grams of butter, six pieces of crab sticks, half of a chicken egg and two stems of green onions.

From the bread it will be necessary to cut the crusts and divide it into 24 identical squares. Each piece is spread over with oil pre-softened at room temperature. Nori leaf is also cut into squares, such as bread, and cover them with crumbled crumbs. Crab sticks cut in circles and two such "tabletochki" spread on half of bread pieces.

Further on all the pieces of the loaf with nori are again oiled, but they are already doing it from below (on empty bread), and attach them to slices with "tablets" of crab sticks. On a crumb of oil spread and on the squares of the nori. On the oil attach two stripes of green onions. On top of the finished canapé spread out one more circle of sticks and a piece of boiled egg.