The first recipe we’d like to share is a much beloved snack by long-time Pacific coast residents, including many tribes and tribal communities whose ancestral territory stretches along the entire California coastline.
Traditionally, wild-gathered nori was gathered and hand-formed into round “patties” (they look like palm-sized nests) and sun-dried outside on the ground. The thoroughly dried patties were then shared with family and friends, and usually eaten raw – in this form, the nori is kinda chewy and a little tough, but very tasty!
Nowadays most tribes deep-fry the nori, using whatever cooking oil is on hand. We’ve modified the recipe to use coconut oil, which is a healthy choice and gives the nori a delightful flavor. We also suggest additional flavorings to jazz up the dish.
While nori is not endangered, it is a seasonal resource that deserves protecting. Artisanal seaweed harvesters would never over-harvest seaweed; yet we have heard heartbreaking stories of tribal members going out to harvest nori and finding rocks picked over, with no viable seaweed remaining.
Recognizing the cultural significance of wild nori, over the past decade Ocean Harvest Sea Vegetables has donated hundreds of pounds of nori to Mendocino County and other Northern California tribes. We gift seaweed to any tribe who asks.
We encourage everyone who harvests wild nori to do so in a respectful and sustainable way by never picking more than 20% of the young nori from any given spot, and by sharing a portion of whatever you harvest with tribal members. If you don’t yet have a relationship with any tribes, contact us! We can connect you.
Coco Noritos
Makes 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
1-2 handfuls wild raw nori (sheets will not work for this recipe)
2-3 tablespoons coconut oil
Directions:
- Tear the nori into bite sized pieces (we also like to use scissors). Set aside in a bowl.
- Heat coconut oil in cast iron skillet or pan to melting.
- Add nori to pan and toss quickly with spatula. Keep tossing until the nori looks a bit green and translucent-or it starts to smoke. Tilt pan so that coconut oil drains to one side. Remove nori with scoop and put onto baking pan.
- You may add any spice you like. We like garlic powder and cayenne for “spicy Noritos” and we add nutritional yeast to make them “cheezy”.
- Put pan into oven at 200 degrees or low. Let heat up for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
- Delicious served on top of salads, in place of popcorn or anytime you want a yummy crunchy healthy snack.
- Will keep crispy in a sealed plastic bag for 2-3 weeks!
* Nori is high in iron, B vitamins and Vitamin A.
To welcome Spring, our wild nori is on sale through the end of April 2021.
For folks who can’t wild-harvest their own nori (or barter for it!), we have special prices during our April sale: $7 for 1 oz., $35 for 1/2 pound, and $55 for 1 pound.
Click below to get some!