Seaweed

You know those little packs of roasted nori sheets? Along with a little touch of sugar, they make the perfect topping for popcorn.

Japanese cuisine tends to be mild on the whole, but this noodle soup, piri kara soba, has a real kick to it.

Kombu and katsuobushi (bonito flakes) come together in an umami-rich dashi with a complex, deep flavor.

Shichimi togarashi is a seven-spice blend that can season soups, noodles, grilled foods, rice, or salads.

This salty-sweet kimbap—filled with maple-candied spam and herbaceous perilla leaves—is wonderful in a packed lunch or even at a picnic.

Savory, warming miso soup is a Japanese mainstay, commonly enjoyed for breakfast alongside rice, eggs, fish, and pickles.

The collar is one of my favorite parts of the fish. Baste it with naturally sweet and salty flavor from briny kombu and dark sweet prunes. The briny and sweet sauce is easy to make ahead and store in the refrigerator. The collars of a large fish, such as cod, is the part between the head and the body; it has a (healthy omega-3) fatty richness that is ultra-satisfying. 

This summer soup is deeply savory, with anchovies, bacon, and a brown butter–tomato sauce anchoring the whole thing. 

This versatile dashi has earthiness, depth, and is full of glutamates from shiitake mushrooms, dashima seaweed, and dried anchovies.

Furikake, the Japanese seasoning and condiment, comes in many store-bought styles. This streamlined homemade version has just five ingredients and is equally versatile on fish, steamed rice, or roasted vegetables.

This method is endlessly adaptable: Swap the black bass for salmon; use spinach instead of cabbage. Don’t like mushrooms? Skip ’em!

I serve these pickles like a salad as a side with ramen noodles, gyoza (fried dumplings), or shumai (steamed dumplings), or with a sandwich. 

These savory Japanese pancakes are stuffed with shredded cabbage, red pepper, and your choice of meat or seafood. Top with crumbled seaweed, bonito flakes, and mayo for the full experience.

These scallops get tossed with a mix of ground nori, coriander, and ginger before hitting the grill—then plated with citrusy mayo and topped with scallions and red pepper flakes.

A ginger and coconut aminos dressing brings together this healthful salad of crunchy cucumbers and toothsome seaweed.

Pickle brine lends a distinctive tang to the rice, giving the whole dish a nice, lively jolt. This recipe can work with any kind of pickling liquid, even the ordinary stuff from a jar of pickles or cornichons (we tested it with a few kinds). If brown rice isn’t your thing, use another grain: Try barley, farro, or freekeh.

This fortifying Japanese soup starts with a homemade dashi—stock made from seaweed and bonito flakes—which gives the dish a light, savory flavor.

Hemp milk makes the fastest, creamiest alt-milk with very little waste, but any nondairy milk works.

Make a double or triple batch of the dashi and freeze in airtight containers to keep for making savory soups on the fly.

Onigiri is a quintessential Japanese food: made by moms for breakfast, lunch boxes, and picnics. It is the ideal handheld food (the nori wrapper keeps the sticky rice from getting all over your hand).