Vegetables · Seaweeds

Wakame

Tender seaweed sold dried, which swells into silky green fronds for miso soup and salads.

Also called: seaweed, miyeok

What it is

Wakame is a brown seaweed usually sold dried in small, dark, crinkly pieces that expand many times when soaked, turning bright green and silky. It is softer and milder than kombu and not pressed into sheets like nori.

Undaria pinnatifida

How it’s used

Miso soup
Seaweed salad with sesame and vinegar
Korean birthday soup (miyeok-guk)
Added to noodle soups and cucumber salads

Characteristics

Taste: Mild, slightly sweet and briny.
Texture: Silky with a slight crunch at the ribs.
When cooked: Expands a great deal; a small amount of dried wakame is plenty. Soak a few minutes only.
Sold as: dried, fresh
Cooking uses: Usually eaten raw, Commonly cooked, Suitable for boiling
Common in: Japanese, Korean, Chinese