Seaweed Rocks My Taste Buds

I think I deserve a party or some type of fete, because I've discovered something that takes a lifetime to achieve: the ultimate, make-at-home seaweed.

I know what you're thinking - 'She's crazy!'- but I thought we had already established that. Seaweed, for those of us who love it and can't get enough of it, is a tricky food to buy and prepare yourself. Sure, you can go into any Japanese restaurant or market and order a seaweed salad, but a. that's annoying b. it's expensive and c. they always taste the same. About 90% of the seaweed salads that you can buy are only made with wakame seaweed, and, on top of that, they tend to be drenched in sesame oil and sometimes even contain jellyfish pieces called kurage.
That said, being able to make your own seaweed at home is the ultimate accomplishment. For a long time I was making my seaweed salads and soups with Eden Foods Wakame Seaweed. It did the trick, as I bought it time and again, but it was better suited for soups than salads because of its uber slimy texture. Plus, if you don't like the spines on the seaweed leaf, or if you don't like chewing through foot long, lasagna noodle-sized pieces of sea vegetable, then it's a bit of a nuisance to cut and slice up.
Given the annoying, slimy, and short shelf-life of this seaweed, you can understand why I am so incredibly elated to have found its exact opposite. I discovered my dream seaweed when I was in New York City a few weeks ago. My friend Katlin had just moved to the city from Oahu and so I simply had to take her to Pearl River Mart on Broadway, one of my favorite quirky stores. Of course, before we shopped, we stopped at Dean and Deluca for some coconut water and fresh tangerine juice.
Shopping details aside, when we were perusing the snack and tea section of the store, walking down memory lane remembering all of the Asian foods and candies we used to eat in Hawaii, she pointed out a package of Shirakiku Cut Dried Wakame Seaweed, exclaiming that it was the exact seaweed her mom buys and cooks at home. Because she was so enthusiastic about it, I got a bit curious, hoping that maybe I had found 'the one.' So I quizzed her. How do you prepare it? You just soak it in water for five minutes. How salty is it? Not the least. Can you eat it plain, like a salad? Yes, most definitely. I was a bit skeptical, but I bought two bags.

A few days later when I returned to Connecticut, I decided to try it out. Here's what I encountered...

1. First I poured half of the bag's contents into a small bowl.

2. Then I poured in enough cold water to cover the top of the seaweed.

                                                                    
                                                              

I left the bowl sitting on the counter and although I only needed to wait five minutes for the seaweed to be ready, I went upstairs and watched a full episode of Weeds.

3. 30 minutes later I returned to the kitchen and lo and behold.....! The seaweed had grown at least 2 1/2 times its original size! It was like the Incredible Hulk of seaweed right there on my kitchen counter!

And then it was time for the taste test..... Believe it or not, (as I didn't at first! I kept waiting for a bad bite), it did not taste salty or sea-ish in the least! Incredible! For those who are as obsessed with seaweed as I am, you will understand what a feat this is. Not only is seaweed a naturally salty food, but generally when it is dried, it is preserved with salt. 

I ended up eating the entire bowl, even though I planned to only eat half at first, it was that good. Because it was not slimy or salty, it was easy to season and only required minimal sprucing up. I added some shoyu and two cloves of minced garlic. For added crunch, I chopped up celery and mixed it in as well. 

For anyone who is eager to try to seaweed, I highly recommend this brand of seaweed and am even considering ordering packages of it over the Internet, I'm that committed!

Bon appetite!