Japanese cuisine has taken root very quickly in Russia. Exotic but healthy dishes found their fans and admirers. Due to the high demand, products such as wakame seaweed, pickled ginger, shrimp and various seasonings can be found in any supermarket. Today weβre talking specifically about algae.
Where to buy the product?
Growing off the coast of China and Japan, dark green algae can be delivered raw to the tables of local residents for six months . That is how they retain all the beneficial properties, and the taste of the raw product is noticeably higher. However, the Russian consumer should not worry about the quality of the product supplied to our stores. Modern technology allows the transportation of Wakame algae in vacuum packaging. But we advise you to buy dried seaweed. To do this, visit the Indian spices store or a Japanese supermarket. The benefit of such institutions, we now have enough.
Wakame (dried seaweed): how to cook?
So, we have acquired a whole pack of valuable product, and now the family has long been provided with an indispensable ingredient for a variety of oriental dishes. Dried algae tend to increase very much in volume, so we take them very little. Soak in cold water, 15 minutes will be enough. If we want to use seaweed in salads or serve as a side dish, then it is better to boil them a little. To do this, after soaking, we will drain the water, discard the delicacy on a sieve, then place in boiling water and cook for literally 2 minutes. After that, you can immediately recline it on a sieve and cool under a stream of cold running water. Wakame seaweed is also traditionally used in soups and stewed vegetables. To taste, the product is somewhat reminiscent of spinach, despite its slippery structure, it crunches nicely.
The benefits of an exotic product
First place in the charts of the beneficial properties of these East Asian algae can be put a high content of iodine. We all know how hard it is for the body to cope with iodine deficiency, and we prefer to fill the gap with tablets. However, a natural product is much better absorbed. In second place, put a low calorie content. You can recommend a healthy product as an ingredient for various diet foods. We also note that it contains a rare substance called fucoxanthin, which can burn fat.
Further, we note that Wakame seaweed has virtually no contraindications. No known disease has the power to prohibit their use. The only thing that can prevent the use of wakama in food is only individual intolerance to the body. Well, in conclusion, we note that algae contain a large amount of potassium and fiber, and can also inhibit the development of vascular atherosclerosis, are a natural anti-cancer agent, increase immunity, and help the heart muscle work well.
Wakame seaweed: recipes. Cucumber salad
If you have not tried this oriental delicacy before, then we recommend that you begin to taste in combination with a traditional cucumber and with the thought of incredible benefits. As salad ingredients you will need:
- 10 g of dried seaweed.
- Cucumber - 1 pc.
- Rice vinegar - 4 tbsp. spoons.
- Soy sauce - 1 tbsp. a spoon.
- Salt.
- Powdered sugar.
- Pickled ginger for decoration.
When buying a pack of dried seaweed in a Japanese supermarket, do not forget about traditional seasonings, in particular rice vinegar. Well, pickled ginger and soy sauce are sold everywhere. While the wakame seaweed is soaked, we will take care of the cucumber. Armed with a peeler, remove from the cucumber along several strips so that it becomes striped. We also cut the cucumber into two halves. Seeds and pulp will not work for our dish, so we scrape out the inside with a spoon. Cut the remaining hard and striped part of the cucumber into thin slices across. Next, sprinkle the crushed cucumber with a teaspoon of salt and leave to salt for 15 minutes.
When the algae are soaked, we will boil them in boiling water for 2 minutes, and then rinse in cold water. Add cucumbers to the algae on a sieve and squeeze everything out of excess salt and moisture. Pour rice vinegar and soy sauce in a bowl, combine everything with icing sugar and stir until it is completely dissolved. It remains only to add seaweed with cucumber to the dressing and mix everything. We will decorate the dish laid out on plates with chopped ginger. If the salad seemed dietary, you can add boiled shrimp to the dish in the future.