Kombu

Marley Family Seaweeds is excited that the kombu harvesting season is upon us. Kombu is one of the most common items in the Japanese kitchen. It is the fundamental ingredient in dashi, the flavorful broth used to make ramen and miso soup. Dashi can be used in place of any cooking stock. Here on the West Coast of California we are grateful to have several fresh varieties of kombu on our coastline. Laminaria Setchellii is the main species that we harvest along with smaller quantities of sweet kombu (laminaria farlowii).

Our Kombu is dried in the sun in the traditional Japanese method. We make our own Tatami mats which promote airflow and even drying of the Kombu. Our climate in Paso Robles, CA is perfect for drying this delicious sea green. The air temperature must be 90F and less than 60% humidity in order to have ideal conditions for sun drying.

Dried kombu can then be stored in your pantry for up to a year. To rehydrate the kombu, simply soak in lukewarm water for 20 minutes. Many chefs believe that dried, rehydrated kombu is better than fresh kombu since the subtle oceanic flavors have a change to condense.

However, having cooked with fresh kombu for years, we can attest that both fresh and dried have distinct and wonderful attributes.

Many of our seaweed tour customers say that kombu is their favorite variety in the ramen we make at the end of the day.

Once you start using kombu, it will become just as much a staple in your kitchen as it is in ours.