As long as I can remember, I’ve always loved seaweed in all forms. As kids, my brothers and I used to eat the dried, roasted nori strips as snacks. The green seaweed salad at Japanese restaurants was always and still is a favorite side dish. In Chinese restaurants, you can find kombu seaweed salad that is a very dark green, usually prepared with lots of garlic. My mom used to tell us that eating seaweed would make our hair darker (Japanese folklore)! In culinary school, we learned about all types of seaweed in our sea vegetables class. As it turns out, hiziki is the most nutrient dense! It became more widely available in the US during the macrobiotic movement. It’s high in fiber as well as essential minerals, including calcium, iron, and magnesium. Hope you enjoy this simple recipe!

1 cup dried hiziki (rinsed and soaked 15-20 minutes)
1 small onion, small dice
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2-3 tablespoons shoyu or soy sauce
1 lemon, zested and juiced

1. Drain off any remaining soaking water from hiziki and discard.
2. In a large saute pan, saute onion in sesame oil for 3 to 5 minutes. Add hiziki, mixing well.
3. Add enough water to just barely cover hiziki. Add shoyu or soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Cover, lower the heat, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove cover and cook until most liquid has evaporated.
4. Gently stir in lemon juice and zest until well mixed. Serve.