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NeKKo
Wasabi-furikake with green powder and shredded nori
  • Furikake variety
  • わさびふりかけ

Wasabi-furikake

Heat in the nose, gone in two seconds.

Flavor profile

Heatwasabi heat 60%
Umamiumami 55%
Salinitysaltiness 55%
Oceanocean 40%
Roasttoasted sesame 40%

The strengths are editorial judgments on a scale within the family, not measurements. They can be compared across the furikake varieties, not directly against another family.

Wasabi-furikake began as an objection: furikake had become children's food, and in 1989 a line was launched that deliberately chose flavors children avoid. Wasabi was one of the first three. The heat sits in the nose rather than on the tongue, it comes and goes in a couple of seconds, and that is exactly why it can be sprinkled over food where a chili would have taken over. The line also solved another problem: the nori sits in its own compartment so that it is crisp when the packet is opened.

Sensory analysis

Pyramid and character

Aroma

from the jar

  • wasabi
  • nori
  • sesame

Taste

on the rice

  • bite
  • umami
  • saltiness

Finish

what lingers

  • short
  • clean
  • cooling
SALINITYUMAMISWEETNESSACIDITYROASTHEATCRISPNESS

Character 0-100 per axis, set relative to the other entries in the same family. An editorial judgment of a typical serving, not measurements.

Background

Facts

Background
Nagatanien's line Otona no Furikake, furikake for grown-ups, launched in October 1989 with three flavors: katsuo, salmon, and wasabi
Heat
wasabi's bite is volatile and sits in the nose, unlike chili's, which stays on the tongue
Contents
wasabi powder, shredded nori, sesame, salt, and sugar; the nori is often freeze-dried for the sake of the crunch
Packaging
the line's single-serving packets keep the nori separate from everything else until opening, an answer to the fact that seaweed softens from all the rest in the jar
The role
the variety that adds bite without coloring the dish, which is why it works on fish, avocado, and rice without taking over

On the food

Use

Dosage
one teaspoon per serving; more does not build the heat, it just fades faster
Surface
warm rice, a salmon fillet, avocado toast, or boiled green vegetables
Note
sprinkle at the very last moment, because wasabi's aroma is volatile and disappears if it sits in the steam for a while

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