Furikake is a Japanese seasoning commonly used on many foods. It is said that in the early 1900s, a pharmacist named Yoshimaru combined sesame seeds, poppy seeds, seaweed, and ground fish bones into a powder to sell to the Japanese public as a way to prevent calcium deficiencies. Years later, a grocery retailer in Fukushima developed a similar mixture and combined other spices to sell to affluent customers. The availability of furikake in Japan increased in 1948, when it began to be manufactured on a larger scale by Nissin foods.

The flavor of furikake has been described by some chefs as the ultimate umami bomb. This means it is packed full of flavors and adds a rich taste to anything it is applied to. This flavor of furikake is unique and not spicy. It is mostly salty, with seaweed and sesame seed flavors. It is a great topping on nearly anything.

Here are three ways you can use the seasoning. You can make a great tasting butter by mixing some furikake into unsalted butter and spreading it on steak or fish. Another dish you can make is furikake fried rice with smoked salmon. A third dish you can make is a vegetarian meal made from diced eggplant and miso dressing and seasoned with furikake.

Now, I'm going to open this container and show you how the furikake looks. Under the lid, there is a seal for freshness. After removing the seal, you can see inside. The container contains a sachet of oxygen absorber, so you can just leave that in here to preserve freshness.

Here you can see the furikake flakes. There's seaweed, sesame seeds, and other spices. I hope you'll try this out and season your foods. You can even try this on french fries or popcorn. Order japanese groceries at our japanese grocery store. To discover more of our Asian groceries, visit our online Asian Grocery Store.