Naruto Wakame grows in the powerful whirlpools of the Tokushima Naruto Channel which is produced at Tokushima Prefecture. The Naruto whirlpools are tidal whirlpools in the Naruto Strait. The current is the strait which is the fastest in Japan. The Naruto Wakame retains the fresh moist taste and wonderful texture of the original plants. Naruto Wakame is blanched and salted in natural sea salt to preserve it during storage and transportation.
How to prepare fresh salted wakame
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Place a strainer in a bowl, add the fresh wakame and fill the bowl with water. Let it sit for a few seconds.
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Drain and rinse the wakame under running water until the salt is removed and the wakame doubles or triples in size.
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Squeeze out excess water.
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Cut into bite-size pieces.
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The wakame doubles or triples in size.
How to store and measure tips
Store in a resealable plastic bag in the refrigerator (with the salt on), for up to 60 days after opening the package, or in the freezer for up to one year. If you wash off the salt, eat within a day or two. Wakame can be eaten raw or cooked, and it can easily be added to miso soups, salads, and noodles. Since fresh salted wakame has already been blanched in hot water before having had the salt added (for preservation), there is no need to cook it, simply add it to your dish after rinsing off the salt (think of fresh wakame as a substitute for leafy greens). The salt is for preservation only, not for consumption. Do not soak it in water for more than five minutes, as the seaweed will absorb too much water and will lose its texture.
Measuring tips on fresh salted wakame
Measurements of wakame in this cookbook have been done with tightly-packed measuring spoons. For fresh salted wakame, measure it before the salt is washed off. This process is a much easier way to handle fresh salted wakame as it expands as much as two to three times its volume after being soaked. One tablespoon of our salted wakame is approx. ¼ ounce, or 9 to 10 grams per 1 tablespoon.
