Nori Seaweed

Nori seaweed is a sheet of vegetal paper bursting with amino acids (glutamate and inosinic acid), making it a pillar of umami. Highly hygroscopic, it absorbs moisture from the air in minutes, losing its crisp texture. Flash roasting (passing it dry over a flame or hot pan for a few seconds) evaporates residual moisture, restructures its amino acids, and develops pyrazinic aromas of hazelnut and roasted iodine. It is used at the very last moment in gastronomy to avoid osmotic disintegration.