LCBO Food & Drink Spring 2017

TREND SPOTT ING

SEA plus Sea veggies can be found in many guises inside the Japanese pantry. Here are three seaweed-based seasonings to give dinner a boost.

AONORI A deep green powder of dried laver, aonori is an essential condiment for okonomiyaki , Japan’s beloved savoury pancake. It’s also terrific sprinkled onto popcorn or scrambled eggs or folded into mayonnaise to dress an unforget- table salmon burger. Aonori can be challenging to find outside of Japanese food shops, though you could make your own by whizzing nori in a food processor. Ground kelp, which is available at most natural food shops, is a worthy substitute. FURIKAKE Furikake is a family of coarse seasoning blends that contain everything from sesame seeds to smoke-dried bonito fish. They are traditionally sprinkled on rice and soups, though today you’ll see furikake on poke, the trendy Hawaiian tuna salad. JFC is a popular brand and its wakame chazuke , a simple mix of dried seaweed and rice balls, adds a crispy texture and wallop of umami to raw fish dishes. One thing to keep in mind: furikake is quite salty, so use a light hand when seasoning the dish. SHICHIMI TOGARASHI Translating to“seven-flavour chili pepper,” shichimi (sometimes called nanami ) togarashi is a spicy blend of hot chili flakes, dried orange peel, white and black sesame seeds, ginger, seaweed and sansho, which is a milder version of Sichuan pepper. It’s ubiquitous at ramen joints and is delicious shaken over cucumber salads, tofu or Asian noodles. S&B is the most recognizable brand, though Loblaws also carries shichimi under its PC Black Label.

NORI OF MY LIFE Nori—pressed, dried laver seaweed—has a wide range of uses beyond the sushi counter. Here’s how to get the most out of these tasty sheets at home. ➤ Cut into squares and use them to scoop up salmon or tuna tartare—or ceviche. ➤ Slice into thin strips to garnish fried rice, Asian noodles or seafood soup. ➤ Use it to cloak tofu or fish like Christopher St. Onge’s succulent Nori-Wrapped Salmon in Miso Broth (recipe at foodanddrink.ca). On the Japanese island of Okinawa, residents over 65 have the highest life expectancy in the world. They eat a lot of seaweed. Here’s why you should too: ➤ Low in calories, seaweed is dense with nutrients including calcium, potassium and vitamins A and C. It’s also nature’s best source of iodine, which is essen- tial for healthy thyroid function and metabolism. ➤ It’s loaded with soluble fibre, which com- bines with water to form a gel that slows down the digestive process. This helps to lower glucose levels and cholesterol. ➤ Sodium alginate in seaweed is a power- ful detoxifier of the digestive tract, and a recent study from McGill University showed that seaweed absorbs cadmium and lead from the body. health insurance

28  FOOD & DRI NK SPRING 2017