History of Furikake Rice Seasonings

September 02, 2019

Furikake isn't a well-known seasoning in England. It's a seasoning originally used for rice. Rice is to Japan what the potato is to England, but rice hasn't got much taste to it, so furikake is used to add flavour. Furikake is often used in bento/rice balls.

The idea of furikake is very old - 12-13 centuries ago people used dried salted fish such as salmon, shark and red snapper to make flakes. Modern furikake were invented at the beginning of the Taisho era (1921-1926). A pharmacist was concerned about the lack of calcium in the Japanese diet. He thought of making flakes/powder from dried fish which is high in calcium. He mixed some sesame and herbs (shiso) so that people who dislike fish can use it as a calcium supplement. Furikake isn't just a seasoning, it is supporting Japanese people's health.

Common ingredients that are used for furikake are bonito flakes, salmon flakes, sesame seeds, shiso herb, seaweed (wakame/hijiki/nori/kombu). Common flavours are bonito, salmon, and egg etc, but there are some interesting flavours too such as Yakiniku BBQ, Curry, Gyoza.

We might not stock a huge amount of flavours but we do import nice authentic furikake from Japan.

Bonito flavour

Mixed vegetable

Mixed grain rice

 

Furikake is not just used for rice these days! They are used in salad and some noodle dishes. You can use them as a topping to anything you like! 

 

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