Furikake

I’m completely in food limbo right now.  It seems like everyone is switching to fall food, but I’m not ready for pumpkin and apples and stews.  It’s still above 80 degrees Fahrenheit here in Tokyo, and the thought of butternut squash just makes me start sweating.

That means I’m having a difficult time planning meals these days.  And I couldn’t decide which direction to take my recipe post this week!  So I’ll take advantage of it by sharing one of my favorite Japanese condiments with you.  It’s called furikake, pronounced foo-ree-kah-kay.  There are endless combinations of flavors that you can put into furikake, but it’s generally a mixture of sesame seeds, dried seaweed, dried fish, salt and sugar.  Sound strange?  It translates into an umami-packed, salty/sweet addictive topping.

It’s most commonly used to add some flavor to bland Japanese rice.  But I’ve managed to find quite a few other ways to incorporate it into meals.  My favorite way is to add it to popcorn.  It’s also great on salads, green beans and roasted nuts.  And some day I’ll try this chex mix recipe.

If I’ve piqued your interest, you can buy the mix in the Asian section of well-stocked grocery stores.  Or order it on amazon.  And if you’re really ambitous, you can try making it yourself!  The great thing about making your own is that you can tweak the recipe to your personal taste (and make sure your furikake doesn’t have any of the MSG commonly found in the supermarket shelf variety).

Furikake

1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds (black or white)
1/4 cup thinly sliced dried nori (unsalted)
1/4 cup dried fish: bonito flakes and/or tiny dried shrimp work well
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
1 teaspoon mirin
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon of sugar
optional: 1 tablespoon chili flakes

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.  
Combine the sesame seeds, nori, and dried fish (and chili flakes, if using) in a medium sized bowl.  Drizzle the soy sauce, mirin and sesame oil over the mixture.  Toss to coat.  Add sugar, and toss again to coat.
Line a sheet pan with wax paper.  Spread the mixture on the pan.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the liquid is dried.  Keep a close eye on the oven though, because the mixture could burn very quickly.
Let cool for a few hours.  Store in a jar or tupperware container.  It will keep for about a month, but I’m guessing yours won’t last that long!

I’ll leave you with one of my other favorite delights from Japan.  We’ve started collecting chopstick rests, which come in a huge variety of shapes and characters.  A pair of koi are our latest acquisition.