Have you heard of the Japanese seasoning called furikake? It consists of a combination of dry and powdered ingredients to be used in Japanese cuisine or simply sprinkled on top of rice to add flavor.
Furikake [振り掛け] is the junction of the verbs fury [振り] which means to mix, shake with the verb kake [掛け] which means to pour, drop or suspend. The name has everything to do with this spice combination.
It is usually colorful and bright, with a slight fish or seafood flavor and sometimes it is spicy. There is a huge variety of furikake, and Japanese people can even make their own at home.
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How to use furikake
Furikake is a seasoning to be used in place of salt in Japanese rice that is usually cooked without salt. Just open the package, shake and drop it over the rice and eat. It's really very delicious.
It can also be used in Japanese cuisine for pickling food and rice balls (onigiri). That is, if used as a condiment, it can be used to color and flavor other recipes.
Since 2003, it has been gaining more and more acceptance in the US (mainly in Hawaii and the West Coast) as a seasoning for grilled or fried fish, raw fish salads, and snacks.
Some American seasonings that resemble furikake, but have a completely different use. There is a fish seasoning whose name I can't remember, chimichurri, and even edu guedes. Both have dry and ground ingredients.
History of Furikake
Furikake is believed to have originated in the Taisho Period (1912-1926) by a Kumamoto pharmacist named Suekichi Yoshimaru. At first he just wanted to end the Japanese population's lack of calcium.
For this, he made a mixture of ground fish bones with roasted sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and seaweed that was turned into powder. He named it Gohan no Tomo which means rice friend.
The product was literally created to be mixed into rice and increase calcium in Japanese cuisine. The product was so delicious that it was marketed by a food company.
Later, a variation appeared in Fukushima made of white croaker, kombu, and other soy sauce-based ingredients. It was launched under the name Kore Wa Umai which means this is good!
Initially being a luxury item, the availability of furikake drastically increased in September 1948 when Nissin started producing it on a large scale, in order to address Japanese malnutrition. The product was rich in protein and calcium.
Being a great source of energy for the Japanese army, furikake gained this name only in 1959 with the emergence of the National Furikake Association. In the past, each product had a different name according to its ingredients.
The main ingredients of furikake
As previously mentioned, there is a myriad of types of furikake. Anyone can take any dehydrated, dried, and ground ingredient and create their own seasoning. See below the most popular ingredients:
Nori - One of the main ingredients that make up the furikake, a species of leaf made from seaweed.
Monosodium glutamate – A sodium salt of glutamic acid, one of the most abundant non-essential amino acids occurring in nature. This ingredient is used to introduce the flavor umami.
Katsuobushi – It is a dry preserve of bonito tuna meat, fermented and cut and blocks, providing an umami flavor.
Yuzu - The dried peel of this beautiful sour fruit is used.
Shiso – An Asian plant that was used as a garnish until they discovered it was edible and colored food.
Salmon – Dried salmon flakes are one of the very popular ingredients in the seasoning. Only fresh flaked salmon is also used as a topping on rice.
Sesame seeds – It is customary to use whole or crushed sesame seeds.
Wasabi – A green root, usually served in paste, used to spice up dishes.
Okaka – Beautiful tuna flakes soaked in soy sauce and dried again.
In addition to the ingredients mentioned above, dried eggs, miso powder, vegetables and several other ingredients are used. The imagination is the limit!
Gomasio - An alternative to salt
Besides furikake there is a similar seasoning called Gomásio [ごま塩], an important alternative to salt, as it does not produce its harmful effects. Gomashio is usually an ingredient of furikake.
It has the advantage of neutralizing the acidity of the blood, favoring the secretion of digestive juices, stimulating metabolism in addition to being very rich in calcium.
It is also called sesame salt, highly appreciated in Japanese cuisine. The Japanese name gomashio [胡麻塩] literally means salt [塩] of sesame [ごま or 胡麻].
Besides them, there are other spices like the shichimi made from pepper and popular in noodle soups, not to mention also the ochazuke made from green tea.
Where to buy Furikake?
In Japan, you can easily find it in convenience stores or supermarkets. Outside of Japan, furikake can be found in most oriental markets and in the Asian food section of some large supermarkets.
If you want to shop online, I recommend the Loja Konbini. Here you can easily find various types for just 13 reais and several other products from 料理 (ryouri) japonesa.
Finally, I will leave a video of our friend Santana who talks a little about this delicious seasoning that is poured over rice. If you liked it share and leave your comments.
