Nori (海苔) is a dried edible seaweed used in Japanese cuisine, usually made from species of the red algae genus Pyropia, including P. yezoensis and P. tenera. It has a strong and distinctive flavor, and is generally made into flat sheets and used to wrap rolls of sushi or onigiri.
Nori sheets
Toasting nori sheets in Shinagawa, print by Hiroshige, 1864
Nori being dried on racks, 1921
Women gathering nori, print by Hiroshige, 1849
Edible seaweed, or sea vegetables, are seaweeds that can be eaten and used for culinary purposes. They typically contain high amounts of fiber. They may belong to one of several groups of multicellular algae: the red algae, green algae, and brown algae. Seaweeds are also harvested or cultivated for the extraction of polysaccharides such as alginate, agar and carrageenan, gelatinous substances collectively known as hydrocolloids or phycocolloids. Hydrocolloids have attained commercial significance, especially in food production as food additives. The food industry exploits the gelling, water-retention, emulsifying and other physical properties of these hydrocolloids.
A dish of pickled spicy seaweed
Corn chips flavoured and coloured with green algae Ulva spp. farmed in NSW, Australia
Roasted sheets of nori are used to wrap sushi
Dasima (kelp)