My FLFs are always about food, aren’t they? At the risk of being a bit one-note: Alice Gordenker of The Japan Times‘ “So What the Heck Is That” column has a new article in JT as well as a great post on her blog about how nori, the dried squares of seaweed in sushi rolls, is made.

Image via The Japan Times.

The chopped seaweed gets mixed with water into a slurry, which is in the big yellow bucket below. You set a squarish wooden frame atop a woven mat. Then you scoop up a measure of the slurry in a rectangular wooden box. While holding the frame lightly in place atop the mat, you slosh the slurry over the mat inside the frame, working quickly so it spreads evenly. Not as easy as it looks.

The photos, particularly on her blog post, are great for reference. Itadakimasu!

“Nori” in The Japan Times

“How the heck is nori made?” on Alice Gordenker’s blog