Furikake on everything
Lately, I’ve been putting furikake on everything, and you should too. Furi-what? I hear you thinking. Just wait—once you have this Japanese spice blend at home and start telling everyone about it, you’ll suddenly be able to pronounce it fluently.
So what’s in it? That varies by manufacturer or restaurant, but the basics are bonito flakes (dried fish), nori (seaweed), and roasted sesame seeds. If you walk into a good Japanese supermarket, you’ll find all kinds of varieties. Wasabi, shrimp, egg, kimchi— all with dried ingredients seasoned with salt and MSG. Yes, MSG, that stuff the Chinese takeaway puts in everything, making it all taste so delicious.
Raw egg in your food
Originally, it was meant to season rice. A bowl of perfectly cooked rice is perfection already, of course, but with a pinch of this umami bomb, it’s even more delicious. A popular Japanese dish is tamago take gohan, in which you stir a raw egg into freshly cooked rice and then top the whole thing with furikake. It may sound strange to stir a raw egg into your food, but the egg cooks in the heat of the rice. Basically, a kind of Japanese carbonara. Seriously, give it a try—you won’t believe what happens.
Also on fries
Okay, furikake on rice, got it. Didn’t I just say I put it on everything? Yup. Fries, popcorn, grilled corn on the cob with butter? All even better with furikake sprinkled on top. Chicken with rice noodles, fried egg, tuna tartare, fried cauliflower or crispy chicken? Also! Or stay in Japanese mode and make a rice bowl with salmon or soybean salad.
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