Founded over 90 years ago, Motoi Nori is a nori supplier located in Ibaraki City near Osaka. They provide The Japanese Pantry with nori grown and harvested in the Ariake Sea, in northern Kyushu. Known for growing the highest quality nori in Japan, the farmers of the Ariake Sea grow, harvest, and then process the nori into sheets (using a drying process similar to the one used for drying kuzu). The farmers sell these sheets at local auctions to wholesalers like Motoi Nori. It is said that 90% of the flavor of the nori comes from where and how it is grown, so Motoi Nori’s deep experience is vital when buying at the auctions. The other 10% of the flavor comes from the roasting, another specialty of Motoi Nori.
When they receive an order, Motoi Nori retrieves the (untoasted) sheets from inventory at their refrigerated warehouse and dry them for 3 hours at 85-90 degrees C (185-194 degrees F). The sheets of nori are then roasted on both sides for about 20 seconds. By the way, it is this last step, the roasting, that turns the nori sheets from their original black with a red tint to a dark green.
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Hand-harvesting nori in the Ariake Sea