Practice JLPTMeaning
海苔 (のり, Nori) is Nori — a Japanese food (plants, vegetables).
What is Nori?
Nori is an edible seaweed, including various species of red algae ( Pyropia spp, especially P umbilicaulis ). It has a strong and distinctive flavor. Nori is commonly used as a wrap for sushi and onigiri . It is also a garnish or flavoring in noodle preparations and soups. It is most typically toasted prior to consumption ( yaki-nori ). A common secondary product is toasted and flavored nori ( ajitsuke-nori ), in which a flavoring mixture (variable, but typically soy sauce, sugar, sake, mirin, and seasonings) is applied in combination with the toasting process. It is also eaten by making it into a soy sauce-flavored paste, nori no tsukudani . Nori is sometimes also used as a form of food decoration. A related product, prepared from an unrelated green algae, is called aonori and is used like herbs on everyday meals, such as okonomiyaki and yakisoba .