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Kombu
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Kombu or konbu , also called dashima ( dasima) or haidai , are edible kelp from the family Laminariaceae widely eaten in East Asia.
Over 90 percent of Japanese kombu is cultivated, and most is harvested, in Hokkaido. It is cultivated as far south as the Seto Inland Sea. Most kombu is derived from the species Saccharina japonica (Laminaria japonica), extensively cultivated on ropes in the seas of China, Japan, and Korea.
earliest written record of kombu appeared in Shoku Nihongi in 797 as a gift and tax from the Tohoku Region.
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Encyclopedia
Kombu or konbu , also called dashima ( dasima) or haidai , are edible kelp from the family Laminariaceae widely eaten in East Asia.
Over 90 percent of Japanese kombu is cultivated, and most is harvested, in Hokkaido. It is cultivated as far south as the Seto Inland Sea. Most kombu is derived from the species Saccharina japonica (Laminaria japonica), extensively cultivated on ropes in the seas of China, Japan, and Korea.
History
The earliest written record of kombu appeared in Shoku Nihongi in 797 as a gift and tax from the Tohoku Region. Its use is believed to have begun much earlier, probably dating back to the Jomon period, but as it easily decomposes no archaeological evidence can be found. During the Muromachi period a newly developed drying technique allowed kombu to be stored for more than a few days, and kombu became an important export from the Tohoku area . By the Edo period, as Hokkaido was colonized and shipment routes were organized, the use of kombu became widespread throughout Japan. Traditional Okinawan cuisine relies heavily on kombu as a part of the diet; this practice began in the Edo period. Okinawa uses more kombu per household than any other prefecture. In the 20th century a way to cultivate kombu was discovered and kombu became cheap and readily available.
In 1867 the word "kombu" first appeared in an English-language publication - "A Japanese and English Dictionary," by James Curtis Hepburn.
From the 1960s dried kombu has been imported from Japan into many countries. It was available initially at Asian, and Japanese in particular, food shops and restaurants, and has later been sold by supermarkets, health-food stores, and other non-specialised suppliers.
Cooking
Kombu is used extensively in Japanese cuisines as one of the three main ingredients needed to make dashi, a soup stock. Kombu is usually sold dried and pickled vinegar or in a dried shred called "Oboro kombu" or "Shiraga kombu". Oboro kombu pickled vinegar. It may also be eaten fresh as sashimi. Making kombu dashi is simple though kombu dashi powder may also be used. A strip of dried kombu in cold water is brought to a boil as the very first step of making dashi and the softened kombu is commonly eaten after cooking. It can also be sliced and used to make tsukudani, a dish that is simmered in soy sauce and mirin.
It is also important in Chinese cuisine and Korean cuisine.
Kombu may be pickled with sweet and sour flavoring and is cut into small strips 5 or 6 centimeters long and 2 centimeters wide. These are often eaten as a snack with green tea.
It is often included when cooking beans, putatively to add nutrients and improve their digestibility.
Umami
Kombu is a good source of glutamic acid, an amino acid responsible for umami, the Japanese word used for one of the five basic tastes in addition to salt, sweet, sour, and bitter, discovered in 1908.
Several foodstuffs in addition to kombu provide glutamic acid or glutamates. Monosodium glutamate (MSG), produced by fermentation of carbohydrates, is often used as a food additive and flavor enhancer. Kombu containes iodine. If too much iodine is consumed, it will cause hypertrophy of thyroid gland. Deficiency in iodine cause slows the growth of the body. Moreover, kombu contains a lot of dietary fiber.
Prominent species
(Japanese name followed by species)
Nutrition
- Kombu contains iodine. Over consumption of iodine, can cause hypertrophy of thyroid gland. An iodine deficiency can slow body growth and development.
- Kombu contains dietary fiber, which helps in digestion.
- potassium 6100mg
- calcium 710mg
- iron 3.9mg
- carotene 1100µg
- vitaminB1 0.48mg
- vitaminB2 0.37mg
- dietary fiber 27.1g
- energy 145kcal (per 100gram)
Health
- promote of the thyroid gland hormone
- blood pressure is lowered
- effect for intestinal disorders
- cholesterol is lowered
- prevent a sudden rise of the blood sugar level
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