Seaweed salad

It is commonly made with rehydrated wakame, dressed with sesame oil, soy sauce and rice vinegar, often with sesame seeds. Ready-made versions may use a blend of seaweeds and other ingredients, so the texture and dressing can differ.

Often, yes: on sushi menus, seaweed salad usually means seasoned wakame. The name can also refer to a mix of seaweeds, so it may not be the same as a simple wakame salad.

Soak dried wakame in cold water for about 5–10 minutes, until it has softened, then drain and squeeze out excess water. Toss it with rice vinegar, a little soy sauce and sesame oil, and finish with sesame seeds.

Ready-to-eat seaweed salad is usually already dressed and can be served straight from the pack. If you are using dried wakame, rinse it after soaking if it feels gritty, then drain it well before dressing.

Serve it alongside sushi, sashimi or a Japanese-style rice bowl, or add it to a poke bowl with rice and fish or tofu. Its tangy sesame dressing also works as a contrast to grilled salmon.

Keep it covered in the fridge and follow the pack’s use-by and after-opening instructions. For homemade salad, refrigerate it promptly in a sealed container and eat it within two days.

Freezing is not recommended: thawed seaweed tends to lose its springy texture, and the dressing can separate. Freeze dried seaweed instead, before soaking and dressing it.

Use thinly sliced cucumber or a quick cucumber salad dressed with rice vinegar and sesame oil. It gives the bowl a similar crisp, tangy element, though it will not have the seaweed flavour.