What Is Furikake (Japanese Rice Seasoning)

Furikake, the savory and salty Japanese seasoning for sprinkling on plain rice, deserves a whole part even in Manhattan’s tiniest Japanese markets.

And for those who’ve tasted this Japanese condiment, you perceive why: Furikake enlivens a plain bowl of steamed rice: Add some mayo and a fried egg and you’ll name it a meal. I relied closely on furikake once I lived in a dorm room with only a rice cooker for making dinner. It reworked one thing that was mediocre at finest (white rice) to one thing scrumptious and satisfying.

Furikake tastes good on virtually any savory meals you may think about; you’ll end up shaking it onto salad, popcorn, and soup. Since a complete trade appears to exist round store-bought furikake, you’d assume it have to be tough to make at house; actually, it’s so simple as mixing collectively substances and placing them in a jar.

Since a complete trade appears to exist round furikake, you’d assume it have to be tough to make at house; actually, it’s a easy as mixing collectively substances and placing them in a jar.

Whenever you compose your individual combine, you get to regulate what’s in it, and put in as a lot or as little every ingredient as you want. A lot of the store-bought furikake include M.S.G; even when well being considerations surrounding M.S.G. have been disproven, I nonetheless take into account it dishonest to make use of it: The important thing substances of furikake are already intensely umami—they don’t want an artificial increase, only a pinch of salt and sugar. When you actually wish to refill on store-bought furikake, skip any which have components or chemical preservatives. The 2 bestselling furikake rice seasonings on Amazon are JFC Worldwide Seasoning Furikake and Nori Fume Furikake Rice Seasoning from Ajishima Meals. Each include a mixture of sesame seeds, seaweed, salt, and sugar however Ajishima Meals’ furikake does include components like maltodextrin, disodium succinate, and disodium inosinate. Dealer Joe’s additionally makes a wildly common model—Nori Komi Furikake Japanese Multi-Function Seasoning—which retails for $2.49.

The best variations of furikake embrace as few as two substances, normally dried fish and nori seaweed, however can include way more. Which may sound like a really fishy taste, but it surely’s extra salty and umami (assume miso soup, not canned sardines).

You’ll see furikake mixtures with bits of dried egg, shrimp, salmon roe, shiso, wasabi, and, in Hokkaido, even buttered potato (I doubt that final one is pure). They arrive in jars for shaking into your bowl and in packets that are supposed to be combined with rice for omusubi (rice balls).

Making up your individual furikake recipe is enjoyable. When you can go to a Japanese grocery retailer, stroll the aisles in search of something dried and savory that is perhaps good on rice. Take a peek in your cabinets for inspiration, too; if you wish to add crushed Corn Flakes or smoked salt, go for it. When you have a freeze-dryer, go wild! And for those who’re not shy about utilizing a pinch of M.S.G., get it in its purest kind by in search of out the Ajinomoto model on the Japanese market.

For me, the purpose of creating my very own furikake is to decide on pure substances with clear flavors. My primary recipe for home made furikake begins with sesame seeds, katsuobushi (bonito flakes, that are constructed from dried bonito fish that’s grated into flakes), and toasted nori seaweed. You should use flavored nori so as to add the flavors of soy sauce or teriyaki. You can too used pre-flaked nori, however I want full sheets like these that you’d use for sushi.

If I can discover tiny dried anchovies or shrimp, I’ll add these too; I particularly like shrimp for the gorgeous colour they add. I season mine liberally with salt and sugar, however for those who use flavored nori, you could wish to again off on the salt because the nori is of course salty.

Right here’s a recipe to get you began:

I’m not going to spend one other second convincing you that it’s best to make home made furikake and as an alternative, I’m going to inform you learn how to make it. In a dry frying pan over excessive warmth, toast three tablespoons of sesame seeds, continually shaking the pan, till they scent toasty, about 1 minute. Transferring them across the pan is necessary to make sure that they toast evenly and don’t burn. As soon as the seeds are toasted, instantly switch them to a bowl so that they don’t proceed cooking. In case your nori is just not crisp sufficient to crumble simply, you may toast it for about 30 seconds by waving it over a gasoline flame, or inserting it underneath a broiler. Watch out to not burn it!

Subsequent, crumble two sheets of nori into the bowl with the sesame seeds. Crumble 1/4 cup packed bonito flakes into the bowl with the toasted sesame seeds and nori. Add the tiny dried shrimp and anchovies, if utilizing—I like to recommend utilizing one tablespoon of every however once more, you may customise each the substances used and the proportions.

Season the combination with one teaspoon every of salt and granulated sugar, and blend totally. Switch it to an hermetic jar and maintain it in a cool, dry place like a pantry. Selfmade furikake will maintain indefinitely, however the taste is finest within the first month or two. This recipe yields about one cup of furikake.

Or spice issues up with Doritos Furikake, a crunchy, cozy twist on conventional furikake made with garlic, shallots, nori, sesame seeds, bonito flakes, gochugaru (Korean chile flakes), and, sure, finely crushed Doritos.