Hijiki [1] comes as short black strings that are richly flavoured and make a satisfying dish when sautéed with vegetables or cooked and mixed with tofu [2] or seeds.

Hijiki's black colour contrasts well with yellow, orange and green tones of other foods.

Cooking with Hijiki
To prepare:
- soak for 10 minutes (volume will triple)
- drain
- rinse
- discard the soaking water
- cook in fresh water for 10 minutes with your choice of seasonings
- add to vegetable, seed and protein dishes

Hijiki contains an abundance of minerals, and it has been said that the thick, lustruous hair of many Japanese people is partly due to their regular intake of hijiki sea vegetable.

Despite its long history of use and reputation as a health food in Japan, the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) in 2004 questioned the consumption of hijiki because of the natural presence of arsenic. Read more (PDF) [1] [3]

Clearspring Hijiki is Hizikia fusiforme, sustainably wild harvested and dried in Japan.

Available in a 50g box