- Messages
- 1,481
- Reaction score
- 0
introduce yourself next time you're in..lol I work there
Nori/Algae Sheets In Bulk?
- Thread starter newbie20
- Start date
introduce yourself next time you're in..lol I work there
- Messages
- 941
- Reaction score
- 0
I've heard the same...
I just have a hard time imagining that marine sources specially hire people to collect "wild" seaweed and process it in large quantities of high quality product separately from processing plants that handle commercially grown seaweed. It doesn't sound like a money making business plan when the marine industry doesn't charge really ridiculous prices for said specialty product. As far as fertilizers causing elevated levels of phosphates, I don't know of a fertilizer that can be effectively used. Seaweed is still grown in the ocean and thus there are tides and moving water that would wash it away pretty quickly. Phosphates should be high in seaweed due to it being a marine algae. It would soak it up like the algae in a refugium. Anyone could get elevated phos levels in their tanks by having a lot of wasted food and overfeeding in general.
- Messages
- 1,481
- Reaction score
- 0
+1
Well, I have a hard time believing grade A, grade B, marine grade, and raw organic Nori is all the same thing. Personally, I would not take the chance with something from the Asian market when I could support one of our sponsors and get a product specifically made for my intended purpose but that's just me. Others may think a couple bucks is worth the risk.
- Messages
- 1,481
- Reaction score
- 0
I've never heard of a grade A,B or marine grade. and I was told by a trusted source that it is all processed the same.
its just dry seaweed.
- Messages
- 1,481
- Reaction score
- 0
I wonder what differentiates between the different grades? I would imagine it's all grown in the same water. Better select leaves I guess ?
- Messages
- 1,481
- Reaction score
- 0
I'm loving our dried seaweed conversation...lol
lol me too
I think its very possible it use to all be good quality but with the global rise in the popularity of sushi the demand may have got so high they had to offer lower grades. This would also be the reason that I could see a need for commercial Nori farms.
The other side is maybe Nori is just scrutinized better these days with more people actually eating it.
All the grades are is a way of sorting the "quality" of the finished products into an easy to follow list for human consumption. It has to do with where it is grown (not how), thickness, and overall "prettiness" of the sheet (consistent thickness, presence of holes or thin spots, etc.) Nearly all nori in the US is grade B. Grade A is a very small portion grown around Japan, harvested from the first few leaves, and mostly consumed there. "Marine" grade is mostly grade B and C. The nutritional profile of the grades are all the same. The difference in price can be huge - as cheap as 4 cents per sheet of B and as high as 90 cents/sheet or more for A. It can be even more for "raw organic". Is raw better for fish, I don't know. Is the organic better for fish? Well it is all grown in the ocean and grows so fast that fertilizer is not needed (even if there is a method for it not washing away) so that sounds pretty "organic" to me. It is pretty much all commercially produced and mechanically processed. Regardless, I feel I am feeding my fish good stuff when I give them good ol' Asian Market grade B.
A little search and :
How to Choose High Quality Nori Seaweed Sheets
Guest Author - Chidori Phillips</em>
Nori is made from a type of red algae called Porphyra, the most commonly consumed seaweed. Diners are most familiar with nori in the form of crisp, black sheets that wrap around sushi rice. Porphyra is commercially farmed in Japan and other countries. After harvesting, it is chopped into a pulp, spread onto drying sheets, strained, dried and finally very lightly toasted. Raw nori sheets are available for those who on a raw food diet. There are different grades of nori, and the Japanese have highly discriminating tastes when it comes to this seaweed product. Some nori brands, usually inexpensive foreign products, sell for as low as 5 cents per sheet while at the highest end, nori can cost as much as $50 per sheet. Some brands are available only in Japan due to high local demand and limited availability. The Japanese consider seaweed harvested from specific regions in Japan to be of supreme quality and will pay dearly for it. Although nori imported from China and Korea were thought to be of low quality (and therefore cheaper), production methods and regulations in those countries have resulted in improved quality.
How can you distinguish between a high quality nori sheet versus a lesser grade? The Porphyra seaweed flavor varies depending on where it is grown and when it is harvested. It helps to know the background of the brand you buy and where it harvests its seaweed. But this information is not always printed on the package label and even if it were, chances are your Japanese language reading skills are lacking. So here are other clues:
Color: Raw nori sheets have a brownish-red to purplish color, and they are hard to find. Most nori sold today is very lightly roasted to bring out its flavor and to enhance its texture. When nori is roasted, its color deepens to black. Choose nori with a dark black color. Over-toasting changes the color to light green. Moderate quality nori may have a hint of a deep green sheen. Lighter green nori is substandard. One side of the nori sheet should be shiny; the other a flat color.
Thickness: Nori should be the right thickness. Hold up a sheet of nori and look at it. Nori that is too thin and of poor quality may have holes or spaces. You should not be able to see through it. On the other end of the spectrum, nori that is too thick will be tough to bite and chew when moistened by sushi rice.
Texture: Nori is highly susceptible to deterioration from humidity. Soft nori sheets have been damaged by exposure to moisture. Choose nori that is crisp, almost brittle. Nori becomes soft quickly when rolled with wet sushi rice so it is best to make sushi rolls right before you serve it. That is why good sushi chefs always directly present hand rolls to the diner for immediate eating. This way, the nori will retain its delightful crispness. Even nori that is wrapped around sushi rice should never be chewy.
Aroma: Good quality nori should have a faint smell of the ocean.
Flavor: It is hard to describe the flavor of high quality nori but you know it when you taste it. I had eaten nori all my life but was downright shocked to taste Japan nori from a woman who brought suitcases full of top grade nori from a recent trip. She said that this type of nori could not be purchased in the US. My husband and I were awestruck by its delicious, deep umami flavor and crispness!
You should handle and store nori with great care. Store nori in an airtight container and freeze it. Once the package is opened, use the nori as soon as possible. This should be a pleasure as there are so many ways to enjoy it.
Similar threads
