meredith westfall wrote:
> Isn't the nori that is used to make sushi roasted? Do they also sell it
> in its natural state.  Those nori roll-ups sound delicious!
> Meredith oh yeah, glad to see you back!

'morning meredith!
                  unfortunately, i understand that most nori gets the
roasting treatment before ingestion.  roasted nori (unless in bulk) usually
mentions its status somewhere on the package.  raw nori will often instruct
you to pass the sheet over an open flame (quickly) until the seaveggie turns
a discernible green.  raw nori black.  roasted nori green.
        direct quote from the package of emerald cove nori (distributed by
great eastern sun, asheville, nc 28806):

        not all seaweeds are weeds!  in fact, many of them are farmed like
land-based vegetables.
        nori was originally harvested by scraping it from stalks of bamboo
that grew wild in shallow mud flats where the tide bathed the nori
alternately in river water and ocean water.  in the 1700's, japanese nori
harvesters began pushing rows of dried bamboo stakes into the shallows in
the first experiments with cultivation.
        over the years varieties of nori were found that do not need daily
bathing with fresh river water, making possible modern "open ocean" nori
farming.  in the fall, nori is seeded onto rope nets from carefully
controlled stock.  the nets are taken out into the ocean and stretched just
below the surface between buoys.  in the winter the nets are pulled aboard
boats and the nori harvested with vacuum cleaner-type machines.
        the resulting moist mash is taken ashore and dried in flat, square
forms much in the same, old-fashioned way that paper was once made.  this
low-temperature, slow drying is essentiol to retain the vitamins in our
nori.
        nori plays a key role in oriental cuisine.  more than 300,000 tons
of fresh nori are harvested annually on over 60,000 japanese nori farms --
and the japanese eat over 9 billion sheets each year!  emerald cove nori can
be lightly toasted over a low, open flame until it turns green and crisp.
crumble and eat as a snack with nuts, or sprinkle over soups, rice or
vegetables.  for wrapping steamed rice (sushi) we recommend emerald cove
sushi nori, a variety of nori specially selected for this product.
--------------------------------
nutrition information
--------------------------------
serving size (1 sheet) .... 2.5g
servings per package ........ 10
protein ..................... 1g
fat ......................... 0g
sodium ..................... 5mg
carbohydrate ................ 1g
calories ..................... 8
u.s rda (%)
vitamin a ................... 10
vitamin c .................... 4
riboflavin ................... 4
contains less than 2% of
the u.s. rda of protein,
thiamine, niacin, calcium
and iron.

-----end of quoted material-----

        how many countries on earth have something equivalent to the
reccomended daily allowance?  rda's across europe, through asia, australia,
south america, africa, etc.  i wonder if any include many trace elements, or
(gasp!) enzymes!  dare to dream...
        i'd sure like to try some of that pre-"open ocean" farmed nori.  i
wonder if anyone still grows the varieties that need daily bathing in fresh
river water.  or if any of the wild slime still clings to bamboo, where we
could wander out into the mud flats and scrape it today.
        i have found nori sheets as cheap as $2.29/ten; all the way up to
$8+ for the same amount.  nori quality varies.  some sheets will tear
easier, leak more, others have more subtle flavors or greater stiffness.
nori also comes as-is, not as a square sheet (with parallel perforations).
sea seasonings also markets nori granules with ginger in a shaker.
        usually, i go one of two routes when confronted with noriness.  i
either spoon half an avocado upon the purple/black paper, followed by
sprouts or organic salad mix.  a dash or two of nama shoyu, perhaps an
expertly placed edible flower, and roll away!  ("roll away the dew")
        route #2 has me create a wholly guacamole in one of the great glass
bowls i borrowed from mom.  lemon juice goes in first, to lubricate the oily
mass, and prevent oxidation.  green onion, cilantro, basil, parsley,
chile/bell pepper, bee pollen, super blue green algae, spirulina, tomatillo,
ginger, biogenic garlic greens, and many other possibilites i have
incorporated into the holy guacamole.  (not all at once, however.  space
your experimenting over many nori nights (or nori noons!), but i reccomend
fresh lemon (or lime) juice whenever possible.)

        bon apetit!  petite apetit!


first post to bolis.com by a non-moderator?  i feel special.

enzymatically,
              bodhi