If you are familiar with cooking any kind of Japanese food, then you are likely familiar with terms like dashi, nori, and kombu.
Dashi is made with kombu, which is a type of edible kelp. But what if you realized a little too late that you ran out of kombu and all you have is other types of seaweed like nori?
Could you make dashi with nori instead of kombu?
Not all seaweed is the same
If you are in this kind of situation, then unfortunately you are out of luck. Nori cannot be used to make dashi. Not only would the flavor be awful, but nori also lacks the sheer amount of umami that kombu has. That rich umami is what makes miso soup, and other dishes made with dashi, have that rich savory taste that they are known for. Nori is also very brittle and would fall apart if you attempted to make dashi with it.
Also read: are wakame, nori, and kombu the same?
Nori certainly has its uses in the kitchen, especially when you are making sushi. However, you won’t be able to make dashi with it. So if you have any nori in your pantry, use it for something else.
Also read: can you make dashi with wakame?
