Let’s kick off 2021 with one of our new beauties at We Supply Yachts, the products of Numata Nori. This classic Japanese company produces seaweed since 1937. We have different products available and get it straight out Japan once a month.
History
Numata Nori was founded by Haruo Numata in 1937 at Kawasaki, Kanagawa prefecture. The company originally is called ‘Numata Haruo Shoten’. The founder distributed seaweed and dried bonitos produced in Kawasaki. When the Kawasaki fishery ended it 100 years of history, Numata Nori began delivering seaweeds from Ariake Sea.
The production of seaweed started 300 years ago during the Edo period. The stable cultivation technique was perfected in th elate 40s. The most important process of production is seeding, This requires a calcareous, which could be acquired by stock of oyster shells. After the seeding, algae are grown carefully by the variety of fisheries and producers.
Fishing area
Majority of the area in Ariake Sea consists of fertilized tidelands. End of the summer, fisheries prepares for seaweed production. Fisheries then harvest algae 10 times throughout Autumn to Spring. Both algae collection and seaweed processing are controlled by producers. This allows them to make high-quality seaweeds.
Grading
After seaweeds are processed into sheets, they are graded by Fisheries Cooperative. Then a bid is held, and seaweeds are distributed to retailers across Japan. The final process of completing seaweed production are drying and roasting. Drying could take up to 3 hours and roasting is where retailers demonstrate their unique skills. Numata Nori pays particular attention to crispness.
Taste
The flavour of natural seaweeds matches well with rice. Please give it a try! The characteristics of seaweed from the Ariake Sea are its crispness and meatiness. We recommend you to serve seaweed quickly and avoid humid condition.
They carefully select the first harvested seaweeds of the year, rich in nutrients from the Ariake Sea. The hand-picked seaweeds are crisp, but also melty at the same time. When you check the product name carefully, you will notice that some have “O” (called Maru). This indicates that there are little holes on the seaweeds. Seaweed without holes are beautiful. However, beauty and flavour is a different story. First Pick (Virgin Harvest) seaweed only makes up less than 1% of the seaweeds distributed throughout the year. Their aim is to deliver the rarest seaweed to the world.
Storage procedure
- When zipping the package, press the air out for the maximum moisture-proofness.
- We recommend storing it in the freezer. (Please avoid direct sunlight and highly moisture environment.)
- The package is the best place to store seaweeds.
Main or side character of the dish?
The characteristic of ‘First picked Seaweed’ is that taste and its aroma changes drastically by its origin. These seaweed does not only match with Japanese food but also with various cuisines around the world.
Échire butter
Échire butter with Numata Nori’s seaweed. The best appetizer for your dinner and drinks! This is a type of butter that is made in Ville Échire, in the Eastern of France.
Gouda Cheese
The semi-hard Gouda cheese produced in the Netherlands has unique bitterness and its milky aftertaste. When you wrap with the crisp and melty seaweed, the characteristic of each ingredient will stand out even more. This is such a savoury snack that is best served with light or medium-bodied red wine.
Mozzarella Cheese
Try marinating mozzerella cheese with olive oil and lemon oil, then serve it with the seaweed. The taste of fresh cheese and crisp texture of the Numata Nuri’s seaweed creates the best savour. you could add salt and pepper, and serve it with white wine for an exquisite experience.
Prosciutto and White wine
Pair the seaweed with prosciutto and have a mellow-flavoured prosciutto with a fresh blue aroma of seaweed makes it an excellently balanced snack.
With Soup
The seaweed has three umami components. When you add it to soup, these umami spreads and work as a broth. In Japan, Ochazuke (a dish that you pour tea on rice with seaweed and your favourite ingredients) is a very popular way to enjoy some brunch.
Toasts
Add tuna and mayonnaise on freshly bakes toasts. As an accent, also add the first-picked seaweeds that has flavourful umami. Everyone needs to experience the exquisite combination of those three flavours.
If you like to know more about Numata Nori or any other product, feel free to send an email to sales@wesupplyyachts.com.
