What's unique about Suji Aonori ?
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Navigator: Shui Ishizaka
Shui Ishizaka
Born and raised in Australia, Shui Ishizaka is our culinary virtuoso whose innovative approach to seaweed transforms the ocean's produce into gastronomic masterpieces. His journey to and at Sea Vegetable passes through some of the culinary world’s prestigious kitchens including Tokyo's two-Michelin-starred restaurant INUA and three-Michelin-starred noma’s popup restaurant in Kyoto.
Ishizaka’s philosophy revolves around the narrative of each dish, where the 'why' becomes as important as the 'what'. His work embodies a deep respect for the ingredients’ origins, pairing the known with the unknown. He is a chef who not only envisions a seat for seaweed at the global dining table but also crafts each dish as an invitation to explore, taste, and appreciate the unseen wonders of our oceans.
My first meeting with Sea Vegetable was around November 2020, I as one of the team members brought dried Suji-Aonori to my kitchen. When I first tasted it, I was astonished by how it tasted so fresh and newly made. The dried Aonori I had before wasn't bad, but I never thought about when those products were processed or how long it had been sitting on the store shelf. But with Sea Vegetable's product, I could tell that it had just been dried from its fresh state. It had a piquant aroma that expresses the complex and layered ocean and invites a comparison to the luxury of truffles.
After that, we decided to experiment with Suji-Aonori together. We started by requesting fresh, undried Suji-Aonori. It's like how a painter begins with a blank canvas—drying adds a layer of processing that feels like painting on a canvas already colored. Fresh Suji-Aonori gave me more creative freedom because it was in its natural state, straight from its environment.
Initially, instead of making Suji-Aonori the star of the plate, I focused on how it could be the best supporting ingredient.
This is because typical Aonori is just sprinkled over dishes, which would be hard for people to accept if it suddenly appeared as the main ingredient.
My goal was to show that Suji-Aonori can be more than just a garnish. I wanted people to first understand its flavor and versatility. So, I tried using it as a seasoning, something basic and essential that both home cooks and professionals would always have on hand.
Suji-Aonori has an excellent aroma even when fresh. And I found out that oils are great at extracting these essence, stimulating me to make Suji-Aonori oil. This turned out really well and tasted great!
Since I used rice oil at that time, I shifted my plans to use animal fats. So next, I tried butter and made something like a Suji-Aonori brown butter, which was also very interesting. The way Suji-Aonori’s aroma spread in the mouth with animal fats was entirely different and delicious. I realized it might pair well with all dairy products, so I experimented with milk next.
Infusing milk with the color and flavor of Suji-Aonori was fantastic. It felt like it opened up a whole new world of possibilities.
Suji-Aonori is often seen as a purely Japanese ingredient, typically used in dishes like okonomiyaki or takoyaki. Even in high-end restaurants, it's used in soups—all very traditional.
It’s not something you’d usually find in Italian or French cuisine. But milk is used worldwide, and with Suji-Aonori infused milk, you get a subtle, delicate aroma that can naturally blend into any recipe using milk. It's an approachable and intriguing flavor without being overpowering.
The next step was making ice cream.
I thought Aonori ice cream would be interesting since I'd never heard of it before, but at the same time, I had some pressure that I needed to make it delicious too.
If anyone has tried Aonori ice cream before, it was probably vanilla or milk-flavored ice cream with Aonori mixed in. But when you make ice cream using Suji-Aonori milk, it somehow brings out more umami and a pleasant saltiness.
The ice cream turned a light green, similar to matcha ice cream, and had a slight matcha-like taste. But it had a unique flavor that matcha could never achieve. I’ve eaten a lot of matcha ice cream since coming to Japan, but this was even better.
After that, I started experimenting with other milk-based desserts like cookies and tiramisu.
Using Suji-Aonori milk with mascarpone, ricotta, and fresh cheeses was also very exciting. I'm looking forward to making aged cheeses with Suji-Aonori milk next, like Camembert
I also experimented with making miso and other fermented products.
To my surprise, Suji-Aonori consistently produced fascinating results. I tried similar experiments with other seaweeds, but many didn’t turn out as well.
This reaffirmed how unique Suji-Aonori is in the world of seaweeds. It feels like a miracle that the first seaweed I worked so closely with was Suji-Aonori.
Fresh Suji-Aonori indeed requires some effort to bring out its best. Its taste heavily depends on the knowledge and skills of the person preparing it. That’s why Sea Vegetable's dried Suji-Aonori is so useful; it instantly becomes a versatile ingredient for cooking with just a pinch of sprinkles.
One dish that I find absolutely delicious with Suji-Aonori is risotto. Mixing it in at the end and then topping the plate with more Suji-Aonori is just heavenly. It’s also great with fish sautéed in butter. Just sprinkle some dried Suji-Aonori into the pan at the perfect moment when the fish is done, then serve it right away. It’s truly delicious!
Dried Suji-Aonori has the power to instantly enhance a dish with its aroma.
Just opening the pack and sprinkling or mixing it into your cooking imparts its delightful flavor.
In a sense, dishes like okonomiyaki or potato chips in Japan have showcased some of the best uses of Suji-Aonori.
However, I believe there are many more dishes that can complement its unique aroma. I truly encourage everyone to experiment with this unique ingredient !