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Furikake

Are y'all ready for a little shakin' and sprinklin'? Great, because that's a rough translation of the name of this handy ingredient. My guess is that Hawaii cooks do more furikake sprinkling than anyone outside of Japan.

When I first encountered furikake, it was sitting atop my steamed rice during a restaurant meal. Fortunately, a friend saw me squinting at the little black, tan and green flakes. Before I could scoop them off, she said, "Eat 'em. They're supposed to be there."

Now, not only do I not scoop the flakes off, I shake and sprinkle them regularly from a bottle of Nori Fumi Furikake that my son gave me.

Basics: There are as many varieties of furikake as Roy Yamaguchi has restaurants, but most blends contain toasted sesame seeds mixed with flakes of toasted nori (seaweed), sugar and salt. Purists can find furikake with nori flakes only, although they're a bit more expensive.

The sesame seeds in the mix are usually both goma (regular) and kurogoma (black). Another likely ingredient is shaved bonito, the dried tuna that flavors dashi, a basic Japanese soup stock. Oddly enough, bonito doesn't make food taste fishy. Like anchovy paste, it adds a hint of fresh ocean taste that perks up other flavors. Dried wasabi (that green Japanese horseradish paste so ono with sushi and sashimi) perks things up even more.

Selecting: Choose jars with slots for sprinkling and tight-fitting plastic lids. Furikake also comes in packets, and fans of Japanese anime collect the colorful packages -- Sailor Moon artwork is hot now.

Storing: Keep in the original jars or packets, making sure not to eat the inedible white packages of silicate that keep the furikake fresh for weeks.

Uses: Worldwide, furikake is sprinkled over rice and onigiri (rice balls), and used to flavor soups, salads, vegetables and egg dishes. Furikake Salmon is becoming a popular menu item -- furikake makes a tasty crust for both fish and chicken.

Nowhere, though, has experimenting with furikake taken hold the way it has in Hawaii, where we sprinkle it in and on our Spam musubi, snack mixes and popcorn. We've adapted the basic Chex Party Mix to create a furikake original, and we've even given our furikake popcorn mixture a name -- Hurricane Popcorn. Maki sushi and poke just cry out for a generous furikake sprinkling.

Where to buy: In Hawaii, no problem. All supermarkets carry it in their Asian sections, so shake and sprinkle to your heart's content!

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