Hijiki and Arame are both dark brown sea vegetables and can be used in similar ways. They look like shoe laces. The flavour and texture is the main difference between the 2. Hijiki, which means “ Bearer of Wealth and Beauty” is thicker and coarser than arame. It has a more pronounced ocean flavour.
Arame is the shredded form of a wide leaf sea vegetable. It has a milder aroma, taste and texture. Both vegetables should be soaked in water to cover for a short period of time. Prolonged soaking can leach out nutrients and decrease their ability to soak up seasonings.
I recommend soaking hijiki for 10 minutes and arame for 5. This way, they soften and have a tender texture. The soaking liquid may be used to cook the sea vegetables in. They will expand up to 4 times their dried volume after soaking. When cooking with hijiki and arame, squeeze out excess water after soaking.
They are terrific to add to soups and stews, and they can be sauteed in a little oil for a few minutes and added to salads and side dishes.
Hijiki with Carrots and Sesame Seeds
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
Ingredients:
1 cup hijiki
¼ cup sesame seeds
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, grated
¼ cup mirin
2 tbsp tamari
1 tbsp brown rice syrup
1 green onion, thinly sliced
Method:
- Cover hijiki with cold water; let soak for 10 minutes. Drain.
- Meanwhile, in dry skillet, roast sesame seeds over a medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring often. Set aside.
- In skillet, heat oil over a medium heat; cook onion for 5 minutes or until softened.
- Add carrot, hijiki, mirin, tamari, and rice syrup; simmer for 10 minutes.
- Top with sesame seeds and green onion. Serve hot or cold.
