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Bargain Bulk Nori?


scott123

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I've been spending a great deal of money on Trader Joe's seaweed snacks. At $1 for a .4 oz. container, that comes out to $40/lb.  Considering that they're about 2/5ths very inexpensive seed oil, that drives the price of the actual nori component even higher. While I like the taste, what I really love is just the nori itself, so I'm looking into buying nori sheets. 

Amazon has $20/lb roasted nori sheets, which isn't horrible, but, I'm hoping I can find a better online deal.

 

I'm in Northern NJ, so if anyone has local recommendations, I'm open to those as well.  My Taiwanese grocer in Parsippany sells nori for between $45 and $80/lb.

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I mean you could always check (and maybe you have) Mitsuwa. Or an H Mart.

 

But I've been getting the nori I use on Amazon as well. I try to buy only Japanese, which tends to be pricier than the others. 

Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"

Tasty Travails - My Blog

My eGullet FoodBog - A Tale of Two Boroughs

Was it you baby...or just a Brilliant Disguise?

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12 minutes ago, weinoo said:

I mean you could always check (and maybe you have) Mitsuwa. Or an H Mart.

 

I was kind of hoping to find someone here who was familiar with Mitsuwa's pricing so I wouldn't have to devote the time and gas for a trip to Edgewater ;)  This being said, while Mitsuwa doesn't list prices online for everything, they do have an online sales circular hawking a 2.2 oz bag of nori for $6.99 ($50/lb).  

 

Quote

I try to buy only Japanese 


What's the advantage of Japanese nori over other countries?

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I like it as well. The Korean markets particularly will have an entire devoted aisle  I usually get the weekend sale offer. Pre pandemic that would have a sampling table.  Now I need/want some. The silica packet inside is likely heavier than the nori so 2.2oz is probably a good deal?

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13 minutes ago, heidih said:

Now I need/want some

 

Haha. They are kind of addictive.  My Taiwanese grocer has about half an aisle of the snack sized bulk packs.  When you get into the multi snack packs, though, the markup goes through the roof.  They can be nice for portion control, though.

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Yea, addictive and the packs don't yield much.  I usually get whatever's on sale at our not so close H-Mart.  My girls will scarf a large multipack in a day or two (w covers their sodium intake for a week).  I've thought of slicing up sheets but I know they'll call bullshit if it's not in a the cute single serve pkgs.  PIA's

That wasn't chicken

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9 minutes ago, Eatmywords said:

Yea, addictive and the packs don't yield much.  I usually get whatever's on sale at our not so close H-Mart.  My girls will scarf a large multipack in a day or two (w covers their sodium intake for a week).  I've thought of slicing up sheets but I know they'll call bullshit if it's not in a the cute single serve pkgs.  PIA's

 

Oh packaging and girls!. The boys as teens were fine with the cheaper big sheets when I let them play with fire (outside) and showed how to carefully toast. They had their own outdoor scissors and sesame oil. Much more economical with their voracious appetites. They did google how nutritious nori is to show me the value of their adventures. 

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On 12/1/2020 at 11:45 AM, scott123 said:


What's the advantage of Japanese nori over other countries?

In my mind, as well as my mouth, the quality of Japanese nori is the best I've tasted. Both in taste and texture.

You have to understand that I'm not just snacking on the stuff - I'm using it in other dishes.

Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"

Tasty Travails - My Blog

My eGullet FoodBog - A Tale of Two Boroughs

Was it you baby...or just a Brilliant Disguise?

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I can't be of any help with bulk buying in the USA, but I do eat a lot of seaweed. I am partial to this Korean seasoned snack type nori.

 

1338149666_Koreanseasonedseaweed.thumb.jpg.00d8f931a5bddaed3e6527c4da804ec9.jpg

 

But will make do with one of the many Chinese equivalents such as

 

20201203_115839.thumb.jpg.f1fa459e14439df2d21c5aaad4f0462b.jpg

 

818480611_Driedseasonedseaweed.thumb.jpg.7fcf369378fdbd8044dc2818a731ade0.jpg

 

It also features in my favourite crackers.

605849567_seaweedcrackers1.thumb.jpg.a6fc3a994f553518fac6fd4586118193.jpg

 

and even

 

Seaweed.thumb.jpg.d223b46b0dd3b506d55c8be699b374bd.jpg

 

But probably I use it most in seaweed egg drop soup and other soups. For that I buy this unseasoned dried nori.

 

13761831_soupseaweed.thumb.jpg.4f3180489eb58ff97149289b1b0ae7c7.jpg

 

I also sometimes crumble some into my beer batter for fish and chips.

 

 

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...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

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15 hours ago, liuzhou said:

But probably I use it most in seaweed egg drop soup and other soups. For that I buy this unseasoned dried nori.

 

13761831_soupseaweed.thumb.jpg.4f3180489eb58ff97149289b1b0ae7c7.jpg

 

 

I get the feeling that, if I could find this, it might be within my budget.

 

Yesterday, I pulled the trigger on 1 lb. of kelp flakes for $11 (on Amazon).  I don't expect it to taste as good as nori, but, I'm hoping it will be good in soups.  

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That is a LOT of kelp.  If you like seaweed in general this topic ay interest you. I was always fascinated by the pickled kelp from Alaska in the Time Life Foods of the World. Unfortunately my local forests have been stressed but are doing better. https://www.kcet.org/shows/socal-connected/restoring-southern-californias-kelp-forests

 https://forums.egullet.org/topic/18733-seaweed/

 

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20 hours ago, weinoo said:

In my mind, as well as my mouth, the quality of Japanese nori is the best I've tasted. Both in taste and texture.

You have to understand that I'm not just snacking on the stuff - I'm using it in other dishes.

You are using plain nori sheets?    Like for making sushi?    Sounds right since the snacks can have many added flavors.

eGullet member #80.

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This is the kind I like (Sugatami yaki sushi nori sheets). It's been a while since I purchased it, so I hope the quality is still the same.

 

479344080_ScreenShot2020-12-03at10_29_45AM.png.d783cb188b2e932f13cc3f426d132f2b.png

I like the seasoned Korean nori for snacking on, no rice necessary. Not very filling, though.

 

@scott123, since you really like nori, have you tried furikake?

 

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22 hours ago, weinoo said:

In my mind, as well as my mouth, the quality of Japanese nori is the best I've tasted. Both in taste and texture.

You have to understand that I'm not just snacking on the stuff - I'm using it in other dishes.

 

1 hour ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

You are using plain nori sheets?    Like for making sushi?    Sounds right since the snacks can have many added flavors.

 

Yes, plain toasted nori sheets. One producer (the nori on the left) offers 3 crispnesses of nori, by number/color on the package.

 

IMG_2924.thumb.jpeg.aa78514ff9974466d432a2429ef74962.jpeg

 

And we like furikake. 

 

IMG_2925.thumb.jpeg.33df681aaa448b7865554550de3d9357.jpeg

 

I just refreshed our supply.

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Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"

Tasty Travails - My Blog

My eGullet FoodBog - A Tale of Two Boroughs

Was it you baby...or just a Brilliant Disguise?

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Thank you eGuillet !

 

bulls-eye again !

 

I now have Nori-on-the-Brain  [ sic on the brain part ]

 

I know I have an unopened pack or two of sheets

 

somewhere , probably from the previous Century 

 

there is a small , wonderful  grocery near me

 

Formosa something 

 

im sure they have all the right stuff.

 

but i wont be going there until I get my second C-17 Vacc's

 

as that's my plan.

 

so now I get to Toss and Turn all night  thinking about Nori.

 

I know this is going to happen.

 

Amazon just wont make it for more for Nori.

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