Japan’s culinary culture has been greatly influenced by different types of seaweed, with some varieties such as nori and wakame gaining worldwide popularity due to their use in sushi.
Advocates of Kombu, a type of edible kelp, are seeking to introduce its various culinary uses to American consumers. While Kombu is commonly used to make stocks, it has many other applications as well.
In January, a food-tasting event was held at Sushi Taro, a renowned Japanese restaurant in Washington D.C., featuring premium kombu, melons, persimmons, and strawberries from Japan. The event attracted around 20 chefs, mainly from Michelin-starred restaurants in the area, who sampled various dishes made with kombu, including simmered salmon kombu rolls, udon noodles with kombu broth, and soy-marinated kombu with dried squid, carrot, and herring roe.
Image | Mainichi
According to Ebony Haywood, a pastry chef at a Michelin three-starred restaurant, she was introduced to kombu stock about six years ago in Washington and instantly became a fan of the depth of umami flavour it provides. Haywood believes that kombu is gaining popularity and more Asian flavors are being introduced at restaurants in the United States.
