The harvest time of wakame has a lot to do with the temperature of seawater in the year. Generally, it is mainly concentrated between February and May. Fresh wakame harvested from the sea, if it is placed without immediate processing, will be digested due to the role of wakame itself "enzyme", lose the unique flavor and luster of seaweed in a short time, the algae lose their elasticity . Therefore, in order to be able to consume wakame all year round, people have been creating a variety of processing methods since long time ago. The wakame we buy in the market basically belongs to processed products. The types of wakame currently on the market are basically divided into two categories: salted and dried, and each category contains many small species.
1. Light dry wakame
This is the oldest method of processing and preservation passed down from ancient times. Fresh wakame harvested from the sea is dried directly in the sun, or fresh wakame is washed with fresh water and dried in the sun.
2. Grey dry wakame
This is a typical method of processing dry wakame invented in the Naruto area of ​​Shikoku in the late Edo period about 150 years ago. The two sides of the harvested fresh wakame are coated with grass ash and spread on the beach for two days using the sun. This alkaline effect of the ash can make the wakame algae maintain a unique dark green color and remain unchanged for years. When it is listed and sold, use fresh water to wash off the wood ash, and then hang it on the rope to dry into thin strips, also known as "ring door strips with blue ribbons." In the Meiji era, dry seaweed was the best fishery product and was treated as a precious commodity until the prewar period. The gray dry wakame is washed with water and then immersed in water for 5 minutes to 10 minutes to spread. It is a representative product of the four countries. It not only has brightly colored algae, but also has flexible leaves and good taste. The flavor is very popular with consumers.
3. Waffle board
This is a processing method for producing dry wakame from the Sea of ​​Japan coast in Shimane Prefecture to Niigata Prefecture. Wakame harvesting time is from late March to mid-May. The processing method is to wash the harvested fresh wakame with fresh water and control the moisture. Then the leaves are placed tightly on the wooden curtain and the sun shines. Dry, it becomes a very thin waffle board. When sold, the wakame board is generally cut to a size of 40 cm to 50 cm and a width of 20 cm to 30 cm. The wakame board is different from ordinary dry wakame. It can be roasted on the fire and eaten in the mouth. It can also be chopped and eaten on the rice.
4. Salted wakame
This is a method of processing wakame developed around 1965. Harvest the fresh wakame to remove the stem and spore leaves, mix enough salt, stack in a woven bag, dehydrate it overnight at low temperature with a little gravity, then remove the middle leaves and the dead leaves of the tip, and then Stir and save.
5. Boiled salted wakame
The same is salted wakame, but this product is fresh seaweed first boiled and then salt processing, the color of wakame after processing is very bright. This method of processing has been the most widely used method ever since its inception in 1970, but it has not been preserved for a long time. The method of boiling salted seaweed is to remove the spores of fresh wakame first, and boil in seawater or salt water at 85°C-100°C for 30 seconds-50 seconds, then cool, dehydrate and add 20%-24%. The salt is salted for 15 hours after stirring, and then the stems are removed, followed by gravity dewatering and salt mixing for marketing.
6. Spore leaves (ears)
The so-called wakame is incomplete in some sense. In general, we eat only the leaves of the wakame, which is the reproductive organ of the wakame, located in the base of the wakame stem near the pseudo-root. In the past, it may have been because there were not many people whose texture was harder. Recently, the number of people eating has increased rapidly because of the health effects of alginic acid and phycolicans found in the leaves of the porphyra. The cotyledons sold on the market are all dried and have more mucus. After soaking in clean water, they are cut into filaments with a knife or rubbed with a chopping board, and vinegar, soy sauce, and other seasonings are used to make the cotyledons. Very tasty. Recently, there has also appeared a finished product of cold cotyledon leaves.
7. Wakame stems (stems)
It is a product of wakame that is produced by tearing off the middle ribs and stalks when the wakame leaves are processed. The ribs, which are generally cut into long strips of salt, are sold on the market and are very popular with the average family. In addition, there are also small ribs and stems cut into small pieces to make various kinds of side dishes on the market. These are the products of seaweed currently sold on the Japanese market. Nowadays, about 240000 tons of fresh wakame are consumed in Japan each year, of which the most consumed is boiled salted wakame. However, the recently developed boiled dried wakame is popular with consumers for its convenience in food consumption and easy preservation, and its consumption has increased year by year.