How to Toast Seaweed

Group of people sitting in sushi bar, waiter behind counter, one man using laptop

Andrea Chu/Photodisc/Getty Images

Toasting nori seaweed makes it more flavorful as well as less brittle so you can more easily roll it into sushi rolls. Most Asian grocery stores sell both toasted and untoasted packages of sheets of nori. Your nori will taste fresher if you toast it yourself. The process is extremely easy and it only takes a stovetop, a sheet of nori and a couple of seconds. You can also season nori and roast it in the oven for a tasty, healthy snack.

Stovetop Toasting

Heat one of the burners on your stove to medium if it is electric, or light a medium flame if you have a gas stove.

Hold a sheet of nori about a foot above the burner. Use tongs if it is too hot.

Remove the nori after a few seconds, as soon as it turns a rich, green color.

Seasoned Toasted Nori

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cut several sheets of nori into strips using kitchen shears.

Mix 1 tbsp. of wasabi horseradish powder with 2 tbsp. of water and a pinch of salt.

Brush the wasabi mixture on the nori strips using a pastry brush.

Arrange the nori strips on a baking sheet.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the nori strips just turn brittle and green.