Monday, May 3, 2010

Kombu

Kombu (or konbu) is an edible kelp from the family Laminariaceae widely eaten in Asia. Most kombu is from the species Saccharina japonica (Laminaria japonica), extensively cultivated on ropes in the seas of Japan and Korea. Over 90 percent of Japanese kombu is cultivated, mostly in Hokkaidō, but also as far south as the Seto Inland Sea. Kombu can be used to make soup stock. If you cook beans, adding some kombu in the cooking process, will make the beans easier to digest. You also can make kombu tempura. Kombu is a good source of glutamic acid and contains iodine, a mineral that is essential for normal growth and development. It is also a source of dietary fiber. If you live in Thailand, you can buy kombu here.