Dried Young Hijiki Seaweed

As domestic hijiki only accounts for about 10% of the market, the Hijiki used in this product carefully selects those possessing the rarest and the youngest sprouts.

Soak the Hijiki in a bowl full of water for about 6 minutes. You can either eat it as it is or sprinkle it on top of salads and other dishes.

Hijiki's structure, featuring a main stem with ‘branches’ and ‘leaves’, undergoes a transformation from its wild form to the culinary form found commonly. Traditionally, it's the leaves that are harvested and boiled for hours which make them fall from their stems and branches giving them the known generic soft texture. However, we at Sea Vegetable take a novel approach by utilizing the young sprouts of Hijiki, which includes the stems, branches, and leaves, harvested at a tender stage. Right after harvesting, we blanch it for a few seconds and then proceed to salting. This method ensures that Hijiki retains its natural texture and mild flavor, making it not just an ingredient but a sea vegetable in the truest sense.

I have eaten Hijiki while growing up in a Japanese household even before I could pronounce it. Yet, I had no idea that one can compare Hijiki to an actual plant and depending on how and when it is harvested, it can actually be eaten as a whole. This revelation not only expanded the culinary uses of Hijiki for me but also underscored the importance of understanding and respecting the entirety of ingredients.