We all love a good seafood meal. Whenever there’s a dish that is made from seafood, you know you’re bound to have a great time and an even greater belly. This October is National Seafood Month. During this time, we celebrate the fruits of the ocean and its gifts for us. Fish and other seafood may be abundant resources, but they are easily threatened and exploited.
All About Annie Chun and Sustainable Seafood
That's why it’s important to have regulations and sustainability plans to safeguard its welfare. Join the celebration by patronizing businesses that promote sustainable seafood like Annie Chun!
Is Annie Chun a Real Person?
Yes, she's real and she has revolutionized the way seaweed is presented and marketed in the world. From being a traditional Korean snack, it is now the first-ever USDA-Certified, organic, non-GMO project verified seaweed snack for American consumers.
From the Korean word for seaweed, “gim” the name of the company, GimMe Snacks, was born. See what they did there? Now, along with partner Steve Broad, they’re on their way to changing America’s perception of seaweed and raising awareness as the most sustainable seafood in the market, one seaweed product at a time.
Annie Chun's Seaweed Snacks and Sustainability
Before GimMe Snacks was born, Annie and Steve both grew up with the influence of the ocean. Steve lived near the beach, while Annie Chun had an innate love for seaweed from her Korean heritage. Annie’s mother would buy huge amounts of it and pick through the clean ones.
Then, she would dry, roast, and serve it. It’s even a tradition in Korea to serve seaweed soup when it’s your birthday! Then, they recognized seaweed as an opportunity to introduce it as a traditional side dish to the American market.
Seaweed has a lot of potential and is an untapped resource. It’s rich in flavor, nutrients, and has no additional inputs besides the sun and seawater. Annie and Steve tried adding flavors to their seaweed snacks and used different oils. When the pair perfected the taste, they took their love for seaweed to the next level.
Annie Chun's pioneered the first USDA Certified Organic and Non-GMO Project verified seaweed snack to preserve the marine ecosystem. Since then, other seaweed manufacturers have followed suit and began their journey for a more sustainable method.
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Our Favorite Dried Seaweed Snacks
Aside from being an organic and non-GMO product, one great thing about Annie Chun’s seaweed snacks is how their seaweed is hand-grown. You can tell from the extra care and excellent craftsmanship poured into every product.
The organic seaweed snacks are light and rich with umami flavor, making them the perfect grab-and-go snack. Here are some of our favorite flavors of this dried seaweed snack:
1. Annie Chun's Sea Salt Seaweed Snack - Pack of 12 - .35 oz.
You can never go wrong with a snack with a classic sea salt flavor. It’s made from 100% seaweed seasoned with salt and rosemary extract. With only 30 calories per serving, you can help yourself with another pack without feeling any guilt.
The saltiness of this snack is a great combination of something savory and sweet. Try it on your rice bowls and see how the flavors tickle your taste buds.
2. Annie Chun's Roasted Wasabi Seaweed Snacks - Pack of 12 - 0.35 oz.
Who says wasabi is only great for sushi and chips? Try this non-GMO product from Annie Chun’s and this might just be your next favorite. With wasabi flavoring, expect that familiar feeling of spiciness coming out of your nose when snacking on these nori sheets! Enjoy a taste of Japan with every bite!
3. Annie Chun's Organic Seaweed Snacks Sesame - Case Of 12 - 0.35 Oz.
If you want to keep your snacks plain and simple without compromising the taste, this sesame-flavored Seaweed snack is for you. It’s lightly seasoned with sesame oil, sea salt, and rosemary extract- no frills, just the good stuff. It’s a straightforward snack with a rich flavor and crispy texture. We can’t blame you if you’ll be eating two packs of these in just one sitting because we’re guilty of it too!
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Seaweed Snack Food Pairings
Being the most sustainable seafood has a lot of perks. Aside from it’s readily available in the market, it’s very versatile too. Although seaweed snacks are great on their own, they are even better when you pair this with meals.
1. Shredded nori as a topping
You’ve probably tried mixing your rice bowl with sesame seeds to give it a richer flavor. But have you tried incorporating your rice with dried seaweed sheets?
All you have to do is cut the sheets into very small bits and put them on top of your rice. You can also add sesame seeds for more flavor. Aside from rice, you can get creative and try it on other food like noodles or even popcorn!
2. Nori sheets for sushi, musubi, and more
Since seaweed snacks are already packaged as sheets, it’s so fun to get creative and think of food that you can wrap it with. From baked sushi, regular sushi, to onigiri and musubi, seaweed sheets really do go well with rice meals. Every bite gives you a taste of the sea and adds saltiness to every meal you have.
Other Non-GMO Products from Annie Chun's
There’s more to Annie Chun than seaweed snacks! One of their goals is to encourage more and more people to eat non-GMO food, so they can benefit from its nutrition. That’s why they also have ready-to-eat food that’s perfect for those who don’t have much time to cook.
1. Annie Chun's Miso Soup Bowl - Pack of 6 - 5.9 oz.
Miso soup is an essential part of Japanese cuisine. While the broth in itself is easy to make, it still requires time to prepare. Annie Chun's Miso Soup Bowl makes it a complete and convenient meal by combining a hearty, full-bodied white and red miso broth with cooked udon noodles, tofu, and scallions in one bowl. Pop in the microwave for just 2 minutes and you've got yourself a delicious and nutritious meal. At only 250 calories, this instant noodle soup works great as a quick lunch or as part of a meal.
-Classic miso broth with cooked udon noodles, tofu, and scallions.
-All-natural and vegan. No added MSG or preservatives
-Ready in just two minutes
2. Annie Chun's Teriyaki Noodle Bowl - Pack of 6 - 7.8 oz.
Sweet and tangy is always an exciting duo of flavors to enjoy for lunch! Annie Chun's Teriyaki Noodle Bowl comes with tender Hokkien noodles that's glazed with a flavorful teriyaki sauce and topped with bok choy and carrots. It's a low fat instant stir-fry with 0g cholesterol, making it the perfect on-the-go snack when the Japanese food cravings hit.
-Cooked Hokkien noodles with sweet and tangy teriyaki sauce, carrots, and bok choy.
-GMO-free and vegan
-Easy to prepare and ready to eat in just two minutes.
Now that you’ve met Annie Chun and her campaign for sustainable seafood, we hope that you will also take part in it not just this National Seafood Month, but every day of your lives.
If you’re wondering, is Annie Chun’s vegan products available at Karman Foods? The answer is yes! Come check out more of Annie Chun’s products and other Asian food at our website.