Passport & Plate - Hijiki Seaweed Salad
Japan | Thursday, March 5, 2015 | 5 photos
Ingredients
2 cups dried (or 3 cups fresh) Hijiki seaweed <can substitute Arame>
3 T soy sauce
3 T rice vinegar
2 T sesame oil
1 T sake
1 t honey
½ t red pepper flakes
1 cup shredded carrot
¼ cup thinly sliced green onions
2 t grated ginger
1 t minced garlic
2 T chopped fresh parsley <or cilantro>
1 T toasted sesame seeds
How to prepare this recipeSoak dried seaweed in warm water for 1 hour. If fresh, boil for 3 minutes to sanitize and tenderize, then proceed with same steps. Drain the seaweed in a sieve, then rinse and squeeze excess water. Let water continue to drip from sieve for 5 minutes. If Hijiki is long, cut into 1.5 inch segments.
Combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sake, red pepper flakes, garlic, ginger, honey and mix until honey dissolves. Add the hijiki seaweed, carrot, green onion and parsley. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
The story behind this recipeThis Hijiki Seaweed Salad recipe captures my passion for Japanese food, cultural exchange and life long interest for learning the traditional ways of fascinating civilizations. I have lived in rural southern Japan for seven months, and while being her have had the opportunity to learn how to cook and live like the Japanese have for thousands of years.
My most enthusiastic teachers are Japanese grandmas who are thrilled that I want to learn and master traditional Japanese cooking. I have become particularly interested with seaweed and the various types, uses and cooking methods. While seaweed is available where I come from (Santa Barbara, CA), it is not widely utilized in cooking and is not a staple as it is throughout Japan; though it should be!
Seaweed is nutritionally packed, virtually fat-free, low calorie and one of the richest sources of minerals in the vegetable kingdom. This Hijiki seaweed salad is made of sea vegetables I harvested from the ocean. I learned the art of seaweed gathering from my neighbors who invited me to accompany them on their Higiki and Wakame seaweed harvest. Since I didn't have boots or hip waders, I wore my wetsuit. With a Japanese hand saw at low tide, I harvested as much as I could carry. I was then was taught how to preserve the sea vegetables by drying.
Seaweed salads in Japan vary by local tradition and seasonality of ingredients. This Hijiki salad reflects the winter harvest of both the sea vegetables and carrots. While my Japanese cooking teacher and friend Youko-san likes to use sweet peas and soy beans in her hijiki salad, my recipe blends what I have learned from her and has been spiced up with California flair. Most Japanese food isn’t spicy, nor do they use many herbs, both of which I think greatly enhance the culinary experience.
