Speaking of seaweed to eat, it is wakame seaweed. Even the same seaweed is cheaper than kombu kelp and is eaten willingly because the nourishment is abundant. they are used for miso soup or vinegared food widely in Japan.
90% of wakame seaweed sold in the market is cultivated now. It grows in a handstand state from a rope set up underwater towards a bottom. This is because It is used a property of wakame seaweed takes in nourishment in seawater, and to grow up, and it doesn’t have to be brought up in the direction of the sun like a land plant. If there is it in the sea, it can be grown up in any direction.
In fact, the wakame seaweed is an annual plant dying in one year. In other words it can be got at reasonable price because it is fast-growing during the cultivation period and processed by a machine in a factory after a crop briefly.
On the other hand, there is the kombu kelp which is the same kind of wakame seaweed from an cheap to a high-quality expensive one, but though it can be brought up for at least two years, and this is because a high-quality kelp is sometimes processed by manual procedures.
▲Cut Chinese Wakame Seaweed 500g (left) , Dried Cut Wakame Seaweed 100g (right)
By the way, a lot of dietary fibres called the alginic acid are included in wakame seaweed, and the texture seems to be liked by many people. But this alginic acid have a duty to absorb salt (sodium) and just exhaust to the outside the body without this alginic acid being digested in the digestive enzyme which the human being has in the body. In other words wakame seaweed has a sodium restriction effect.
◆ Health benefit
| Iodine | Wakame does basal metabolism lively and prevents obesity and stabilize mind stabilize mind by relating to thyroid hormone, and there is work to activate mind and body together |
| Calcium | Osteoporosis prevention with a tooth and a bone |
| Potassium | By action to exhaust sodium (salt) accumulated in the body, wakame suppresses the swelling and prevent high blood pressure. |
| Fucoidan | Inflammation and ulcerated prevention and restoration of stomach, liver function improvement, cancer disease prevention, immunity improvement, nutrition and invigoration |
| Vitamin C β-carotene | Skin roughness and cold prevention |
◆ How to Eat
The method of soak dried wakame in water to make use of nourishment and taste
Soak cut dry wakame seaweed in plentiful water for approximately five minutes. Alginic acid begins to melt when it is soaked too much, and the surface becomes slimy.
► Power of absorption of the mineral
Absorption factor of minerals including calcium rises when it is used with vinegar for cooking. Because minerals are drawn by vinegar, it is recommended to eat all juice. Please devise all juice with care to salt to be edible.
In addition, the vinegared food of the wakame seaweed should be consumed early by tossing wakame seaweed with vinegar just before eating because the colour of the wakame seaweed changes when putitng for a long time, and the flavour is lost. Toss wakame with vinegar just before eating.
► Take in carotene with oil
Carotene included in the wakame seaweed becomes easy to be absorbed for fat-solubility vitamin when taking with oil. Try to make wakame salad and put dressing on, or fried food.
► For simmered food
Please be careful of overcooking because the texture and flavour fade away. Pure green is kept just to cook over heat quickly in case of the soaked wakame seaweed. Even in case of soup including miso soup, add soaked wakame seaweed just before turning off a heat or can be put in a bowl directly.
◆ Recipe
► Spicy Leek Sauce Pork Donburi Rice Bowl (serve 2)
[ ingredients ]
• 80g Sliced Pork Belly
• 3 tbsp Cut Dried Wakame
• 30g Leek
• ½ tsp Broad Bean Chilli Paste
• 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
• 1 tbsp Cooking Sake
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 2 bowls Steamed Rice
[ methods ]
1. Soak wakame in plenty of water in a bowl for 5mins, and then drain and squeeze well.
2. Cut leek diagonally; Cook pork slices in a boiling water dropped little cooking sake (not in the ingredient lists).
3. In a small pot, combine broad bean chilli paste, soy sauce, sugar and cooking sake over a heat,
turn off the heat when boiling.
4. Place steamed rice in serving bowls, top wakame, pork and leek over the rice.
5. Pour the sauce on just before eating.
▲UMAMI Seaweed Salad 2kg (left), Daiwa Chuka Wakame 100g (right)
The wakame seaweed is extremely low-calorie while having an abundant nourishment ingredient. In addition, as for the dry seaweed, the nutritive value is the same as raw wakame seaweed. For your health and also a diet, take in wakame seaweed every day.
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