—Masaaki-sama’s Sacred Word— The seaweeds eaten in Japan can be roughly divided into three groups.Brown seaweed, red seaweed and green seaweed. We consume brown seaweed the most. Kombu, wakame, hijiki, gagome kelp, akamoku, etc. are all brown seaweeds. They have a characteristic sticky, slimy texture. Of all the red seaweeds, nori is the one that stands out—the cleanup hitter in the seaweed world, containing all three major umami compounds. Knowing that this nori contains a large amount of vitamin B12, I have high hopes that in the future, other red seaweeds like funori, tengusa, etc. will be proven to have this vitamin as well. And green seaweed. Aosa and aonori, which make an appearance this time, fall into this category. We often eat nori and use kombu for miso soup, so brown and red seaweeds make it to our tables almost every day. But as for green seaweed in particular, we are prone to forget about it. I want to talk a little bit about how amazing green seaweeds are nutritionally. These tiny green things are packed with important nutrients like folate (a great ally for pregnant women), magnesium (bones!) and iron (blood!). Seaweed is a miracle. Although we call it “seaweed,” it can’t all be lumped together. Green seaweeds have green seaweed characteristics, but we may have relatively few opportunities to eat them. Coming to our rescue in this situation is this time’s recipe by Mami. Or rather, from the way I have been writing above, I believe there are some readers who surmise that my SEAWEED LOVE has already entered nerd territory. But because I go on and on about seaweed so much, I think Mami came up with this kind of dish, thinking of somehow combining seaweed with our motto for spreading Japan’s Christian Vegan Diet “Rice for a healthier, stronger Japan!” I hear this one’s called the “Grilled Seaweed Rice Ball Series.” Has there ever existed a series in this world so exciting, so heart-fluttering? No. There has not. The seaweed I love so much joins with the rice that is the soul of the Japanese people, and what’s more, even that fragrant, toasted aroma of grilled rice is thrown in? Just hearing about it, I’m already full! (Just kidding. Please let me eat it.) The flavor. Pay attention to the sweetness. “What? Sweetness?” you say. Well, just hear me out. I believe that for any kind of seaweed, there is a subtle sweetness underneath. When it mixes with rice, the champion of the sweetness kingdom, the natural sweetness of the seaweed comes out beautifully. You there saying, “What are you talking about? How can there be any sweetness in seaweed when it’s jostled around by rough waves?” Yes, yes. I thought the same thing. Seaweed is tossed around by rough waves in basically concentrated salt juice. There is certainly saltiness, but sweetness? There’s no way. But this is exactly what they mean when they say truth is stranger than fiction! It’s there. There is sweetness—even in seaweed. And what lets you experience the tremendous thrill of this great discovery of the century with such surprising ease (?) is none other than Mami’s grilled aosa rice balls. Appearing between the taste of rice and the fragrant toasted aroma of grilled rice is not a sweet whisper from the sea—it’s seaweed sugar. Can a miracle like this really exist? Grill it until crisp and fragrant, chew, focus every nerve ending in your tongue, and have your encounter with seaweed sugar. An ecstasy unlike anything you have ever experienced awaits you. I guarantee it. And so, basking in the sense of superiority that comes from knowing I am now assured a place in history as the great man who was the first in human history to coin the term “seaweed sugar,” dreaming of the day I get to taste the second recipe of the series, and filled with the energy of rice and seaweed, I devote myself once again today to spreading Christian Veganism. (Note: I am not a seaweed-loving fish.) Mami-okusama’s Original Recipe 👇 Ingredients30%-polished rice cooked in a clay pot … 180 gDried aosa … 2.5 gSoy sauce … a scant 1 tspAonori … 1/4 tspRaw sesame seeds … 2 tspSalt … 1/4 tsp Directions① PreparationPlace the aosa in a bowl and sprinkle 2 tsp of water evenly over it. Let it sit for about 1 minute to rehydrate, then use your hands to break it up into small pieces.Toast the sesame seeds.Lightly mash the rice, leaving about half of the grains intact. ② Mix the ingredientsAdd the aosa, soy sauce, salt, aonori and sesame seeds to the rice prepared in Step ①, and mix until everything is evenly distributed. ③ ShapeForm the rice into triangles or any shape you like. ④ GrillHeat a frying pan (preferably cast iron, if available) and arrange the rice balls in the pan.Cook slowly until the surface is nicely browned, then flip and cook the other side in the same way.(They’re also delicious grilled over a shichirin charcoal grill!) ⑤ FinishPour a small amount of soy sauce around the sides of the frying pan, then coat the rice balls with it.Once the fragrant, toasted aroma of the soy sauce begins to rise, they’re done!