Nori: The unsung hero of Japanese cuisine?

Packed with vitamins and minerals, nori (dry seaweed) is one of my favorite side ingredients, used for sushi and onigiri (rice ball) wrappers as well as toppings in dishes like soba (buckwheat) noodles, ramen or even plain rice.

Beyond adding a salty-sweet umami, nori serves a practical purpose when eating sushi or onigiri–preventing your hands from having to touch the rice directly and getting all sticky.