After nori and kombu, wakame is the third most widely used edible sea vegetable, or seaweed, in Japan. Like these others, its use has spread to west. It’s now easily found in natural foods stores. This concise guide presents links to wakame recipes, and offers tips and ideas for using this valued sea vegetable.
Sometimes called sea mustard or Japanese kelp, its flavor is relatively mild, making it a good choice for those who aren’t fond of strong sea flavors.
Wakame nutrition notes
Practically calorie- and fat-free and low in carbohydrates, wakame is rich in calcium and also provides good amounts of magesium, phosphorus, and iron. It also contains an array of trace minerals such as iodine and selenium, and moderate amounts of several B vitamins and vitamin C. Notably, wakame is a good source of the B vitamin folate. See a complete nutritional profile here and learn about its benefits.
How to buy wakame
Look for wakame in natural foods stores and online sources, shelved near other sea vegetables, aka seaweed. Dried wakame usually comes in cellophane packages that weigh only a few ounces.
Much of the dark-green, long-leafed sea vegetable is harvested from the Hokkaido area of the Sea of Japan, though it’s now harvested from the waters near Korea and northern China as well. The packages in which you buy it will identify its origins.
Popular brands in the Western market include Eden Foods, Emerald Cove, and Vitamin Sea. There are plenty of other imported brands that you’d be more likely to encounter in Asian groceries. Wakame comes in packages that are about 2 ounces in weight and is rather expensive, though a little goes a long way.
How to reconstitute wakame
To reconstitute, cut or tear off as much as needed and soak in warm water for 10 minutes; of course it’s best to follow directions given on packages of individual brands. Chop into shorter lengths if desired. Wakame expands two to three times its dry volume, and turns a brighter shade of green.
Links to wakame recipes and simple ways to use it.
Classic seaweed salad: One of the most common uses for wakame is as the main ingredient in Asian-style seaweed salads. Here’s one for Japanese Seaweed Salad. This is a good companion with vegetable sushi rolls!
Sunumono salads: Wakame is used as an element in other types of cold salads, particularly those containing cucumbers. a traditional Japanese-style cucumber and wakame salad is a type of sunumono — vinegary cold dishes that add savor to the plate. Here’s a simple recipe for cucumber and wakame salad.
Miso soup: One of the most common uses for wakame is as an ingredient in simple miso broths. Use about 1/4 cup chopped reconstituted wakame per cup of water and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Add miso to taste, diluted in enough water to make it pourable before adding to the broth. Here’s an easy recipe for Vegan Miso Soup that contains both wakame and kombu.
Other Asian-style soups: Chopped wakame is equally welcome in more elaborate Asian-style soups, such as hot-and-sour vegetable soups and soups containing Asian noodles like soba or udon.
Tofu scrambles: Add a small amount of chopped reconstituted wakame to vegetable-rich tofu scrambles. Wakame, Kale, and Konnyaku Fried Rice with Scrambled Tofu sounds amazing!
A simple dip with a sea flavor: Combine 1/4 cup or so finely chopped reconstituted wakame, 3/4 cup plain vegan yogurt, 1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon yellow mustard, and the juice of 1/2 lemon. Stir together well a tangy, offbeat dip for vegetables, batter-fried tofu, crackers, or chips.
Pea soup enhancer: Add 1/2 to 1 cup chopped reconstituted wakame to your favorite split pea soup about 30 minutes before the soup is done. Here’s a recipe for Seaweed and Split Pea Soup for you to try.
Rice embellishment: A small amount of reconstituted chopped wakame adds a nice boost of flavor and nutrients to simple rice dishes. Try Easy Wakame Brown Rice.
Daikon condiment: Combine 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped reconstituted wakame with a large grated daikon radish. Season with soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar to taste and use as a condiment served in small portions on the side of the plate.
More sea vegetable guides
- A Guide to Nori with 11 Recipes that Aren’t Sushi
- A Guide to Kombu and Kelp
- A Guide to Dulse
And explore more of this site’s Good Food Guides.
FAQs
Wakame is an annual sea vegetable, which grows on rocks as deep as 3-10 metres in the sea around the coast of Japan. It is dark green in colour and its average length is 1-2 metres. The gathering season starts from February and peaks in May.
Is wakame good or bad for you? ›
In addition, wakame contains enough vitamin C to aid collagen production, which helps repair damaged skin. It also offers various health advantages. For example, it helps lower cholesterol, prevents cancer, lowers blood pressure, hair care, boosts weight loss, and diabetes risk reduction.
Is wakame good for your gut? ›
Seaweed contains fiber and sugars, both of which can be used as food sources for the bacteria in your gut. This fiber can also increase the growth of “good” bacteria and nourish your gut.
How much wakame seaweed can you eat? ›
What is the English name for wakame? ›
The primary common name is derived from the Japanese name wakame (ワカメ, わかめ, 若布, 和布). In English, it can be also called sea mustard. In French, it is called wakamé or fougère des mers ('sea fern').
Why is wakame a problem? ›
Why Is Wakame A Problem? Overgrows and excludes native algal species preventing biodiversity and altering marine food chain.
Is wakame high in arsenic? ›
Brown algae products (hijiki, kombu, wakame, arame; 45.0 ± 22.2 µg/g) had higher arsenic concentrations (p = 0.004) than red algae (nori, red seaweed; 19.2 ± 8.4 µg/g), with hijiki containing the highest concentrations (83.7 µg/g).
What are the side effects of wakame? ›
Though wakame is generally healthy, consuming excess amounts may cause adverse side effects in some people.
- Certain brands may contain high amounts of sodium, which can increase blood pressure in those who are sensitive to its effects ( 23 ).
- It's also high in iodine, packing in roughly 28% of the RDI per gram ( 2 ).
In the above scenario, Nori is almost never a rich enough source of iodine to pose a significant health risk. Wakame is somewhere in the middle (where moderate consumption should be fine, but excessive consumption of over 10-20g daily could cause issues) and Kombu which is a significant risk for iodine toxicity.
Is wakame a laxative? ›
Other potential side effects when eating seaweed include a laxative effect or irritation of the digestive tract in sensitive individuals. This is more commonly seen when people eat seaweed in large amounts or very frequently.
Consuming too much wakame can be harmful for your health. This is because this seaweed contains considerable amount of sodium that can act against potassium to lower blood pressure levels. Therefore, people with blood pressure problems would have to be a bit careful when incorporating wakame in their diet.
Is seaweed good for your colon? ›
It may support gut health
Algae may be an ideal food for the gut. Authors of a study in the Journal of Applied Phycology report that algae tend to contain high amounts of fiber, which may make up 23–64% of the algae's dry weight. This fiber can help feed the gut's bacteria.
Do you need to wash wakame? ›
Fresh salted wakame needs to be rinsed and rehydrated in water before use. Dried wakame comes in three different shapes. Large leaves and thin strands, called "thread" wakame (ito-wakame/糸わかめ), should be first cut into 1-2" (3-4 cm) pieces using kitchen shears.
Can I eat raw wakame? ›
Wakame doesn't need to be cooked. In fact, it retains all of its vitamins and natural enzymes in its raw state, so we get the full benefit when we consume it. Dry wakame leaves can be chopped raw into meals, or use our wakame flakes for your convenience.
What are the symptoms of seaweed poisoning? ›
They typically presented with complaints of numbness and tingling sensation of the face and extremities, shortness of breath and general weakness. Most had abdominal symptoms including nausea, cramps, vomiting or diarrhea.
What does wakame taste like? ›
Like most sea vegetables, wakame has a briny, salty, umami flavor, with a degree of sweetness as well. Because wakame does come from the sea, it will taste of the sea, or at least evoke those kinds of flavors, but without any fishiness.
Is wakame the same as sea lettuce? ›
Wakame, sometimes called sea lettuce, is a green and slightly chewy seaweed and is sold fresh, dried and frozen. Dried kelp, or kombu, is an essential ingredient in Japanese dashi and is found dried in strips.
What's the difference between seaweed and sea vegetables? ›
“Sea vegetables” is the culinary term for the different seaweeds used in cooking. They are staple ingredients in Asian cuisines, where dried seaweeds such as wakame, hijiki, kombu, and nori play starring roles in soups, salads, grain dishes, and sushi.
What is the benefit of eating wakame? ›
Iron and protein: Wakame can have a relatively high iron and protein content than other seaweeds. Plant-based folate and B12: Wakame can offer a source of these essential vitamins necessary for copying and synthesising DNA, producing new cells and supporting nerve and immune function.
