Seaweed is a very popular ingredient used in several recipes. It has a nice spicy feel to it and adds a lot of flavor to any meal. Because of that, it’s also a great way to make meals more suitable for your tastebuds if they already aren’t.
While many people love seaweed because of this, they also hate the high price. This is why we will be using this article to provide you with some reasons why seaweed is so expensive to give users more information on the topic and provide a better understanding for its price tag.
Why Is Seaweed So Expensive?
- Production Process
One of the first things that you should note about nori or also known as seaweed is that this is made mainly in Southeast Asia. Japan is the number one supplier for it followed by China. To make good seaweed, you have to first ensure that the area it is taken from is unpolluted. This can take tons of time but the main reason why the product is so expensive is because of its production process.
You have to first note that there are a total of two algae species that are used when making seaweed. These are known as the Pyropia tenera and Pyropia yezoesnsis. Both of these are grown on the coastline of Japan and then taken off from them. All of the industries in these areas work on keeping the production safe as these thrive on making seaweed.
Once done, the next step is taking all of this nori to plants where it will be made into sheets. The main method used during this process is the same as paper making process that was used previously in Japan. Although, this time companies tend to use machines that will do all the work. There are tons of steps that all the algae have to go through which makes it so expensive.
- Quality Seaweed Is Required
Another reason why seaweed is so expensive is because of the quality that has to be maintained for it. When it comes to this, the quality of the seaweed is not that important when compared to water. This is because when you usually visit a beach or seaside then you will notice that the water near is not clean.
However, when you want to take seaweed from it, people have to ensure that the quality of the water around these areas is pure. On top of the water being clean, you have to keep the plants making seaweed of great quality as well. Luckily, these can be harvested after every 10 days.
- Seaweed Is Mostly Imported
As mentioned above, most of the seaweed that people get is made in Southeast Asia. Because of this, other countries usually import the product. You will notice other countries producing seaweed as well, but these regions don’t use the same type of algae.
Due to this, the flavor varies a lot and most people prefer eating the ones made in Japan, which has to be brought all the way from the country’s seas. Considering this, the import plus branding of these nori sheets makes the price of seaweed much higher.
- Sushi Is Mostly Seen As A Premium
Finally, one more reason why seaweed is so expensive is that these are used to wrap sushi or onigiri. Both of these dishes are seen as being niche products in the West. Considering this, people eat them as a treat on rare occasions instead of eating them for dinner. This is also why there are only a few restaurants that make these recipes and specialize in them. Being the type of exotic cuisine that they are, the price is increased and most people have to end up paying extra just to get some seaweed for their recipes.
Keeping the information provided above in mind, you should easily be able to understand why seaweed is so expensive. Keep in mind that branding also plays a huge role in the price of these products. This is why you might be able to find a company that provides seaweed for a cheaper price. Check online for various options and get one that can be trusted at a good price.