Green Laver (アオノリ)
Green laver is a seaweed of the Green algae Class Family Ulvaceae Genus Enteromorpha, and is a generic term for Enteromorpha prolifera, Enteromorpha linza, Enteromorpha compressa, Enteromorpha intestinalis, and the like. Green laver is distributed in wide areas, from the Frigid Zone to the Torrid Zone (the tropical zone).
Green laver is dried under the sun and then processed into powder or sieved for consumption. Gren laver is characterized by its distinctive aroma and bright green color.
Cultivation
Green laver is cultivated in areas such as the Ise Bay.
Foodstuffs
Collected green lavers are washed with water, air dried, and then shipped as foodstuffs. Some of them are shipped to the marketplaces, and used in foods such as soups and Tempura for consumption. Some green lavers are mixed with dried seaweed to make Itanori (sheeted green laver), or processed either alone or in combination with dried seaweed into tsukudani (small fish, shellfish, konbu, etc. boiled in sweetened soy sauce).
Aonori-ko (dried powdered seaweed)
Green laver dried with hot air and then ground into 2 to 3 mm pieces are used in Japanese foods and sweets to add flavor and/or a color. Ulva such as Ulva pertusa Kjellman is also used in combination with green lavers.
Foods Prepared with Aonori-ko
yakisoba (fried soba)
yakiudon (fried wheat noodles)
okonomiyaki (savory pancake with various ingredients)
Isobe-age (Tempura) (deep-fried vegetables or meats with Itanori)
ohagi (rice ball coated with sweetened red beans, soybean flour or sesame)
rice cracker
shichimi togarashi (a mixture of red cayenne pepper and other aromatic spices)
potato chips