Seaweed Chips: The Crunchy, Salty Snack Taking Over the Snack World
Addictive, umami-rich, crunchy, and delicious. Those are the words best used to describe one of South Korea’s best native snacks, seaweed chips. Recently, the love for these snacks has crossed borders, and you can find them anywhere in the world, including the US.
Seaweed chips are made from fried seaweed pieces, salt, glutinous rice, and sesame seeds. They offer a healthier snack alternative that combines the nutritional benefits of seaweed with the satisfying crunch of chips. Let’s learn more about these tasty snacks and why they’ll make a great addition to your list of must-try treats.
The Rise of Seaweed Snacks: From Ocean to Snack Bag
Gone are the days when seaweed snacks were only common in niche markets. Tastiness and nutritional benefits have seen them rise up the ladder to become mainstream meals in Asia and beyond.
The use of seaweed as a snack can be traced back to 4th-century Japan. Ever since then, it’s been commonplace in the cuisine of East Asian countries like Japan, China, and Korea. Seaweed is used as an ingredient in traditional dishes, as a flavorful wrapping, and as a crunchy snack.
Seaweed snacks are mainly responsible for the appearance of the vegetable in Western cuisine. Manufacturers are sourcing the plants from the sea and processing them to sell as snacks in countries all around the world.
One of the most popular of these beloved snacks are seaweed chips, known in Korea as Gim Bugak. They were once exclusively traditional Asian foods but today, they can be found in mainstream snack aisles globally. Granted, a lot of these chips have been modernized, but you can still find traditional seaweed snacks quite easily.
If you’d like to know what authentic Gim Bugak tastes like, Yangban Korean Seaweed Chips are the ideal choice. The product is affordable and was made using traditional methods.
What Makes Seaweed Chips So Special?
Although there are a variety of seaweed snacks, such as rolls, sheets, and strips, popcorn, seaweed chips stand out thanks to their unique flavor profiles and nutritional benefits.
They combine salt and roasted seaweed to create a smooth umami taste. Seaweed chips also contain a large amount of protein, minerals, and vitamins (A, B6, and B12), which appeals to health-conscious consumers. Their crunchy texture from the crispy rice coating also adds to this appeal. Even their appearance is earthy and natural.
These chips can vary based on the type of seaweed used to make them. Nori, or red algae, is the most common type of seaweed chip. Other popular options are kelp, dulse, kombu, hijiki, and wakame.
Health Benefits of Seaweed Chips
Incorporating seaweed into your diet through seaweed chips will have massive advantages for your health, including the following:
-
Improves Thyroid Health: Insufficient iodine in the body can lead to hypothyroidism, which causes fatigue and sore muscles. Seaweed contains iodine, which is vital for optimal thyroid health.
-
Helps with Gut Health: The bacteria in the gut need to break down food and release chemicals that aid in digestion. Since seaweed is a type of algae, it has a high fiber content, making it a good food for gut bacteria. Eating seaweed chips could mean less constipation and diarrhea for you.
-
Prevents Heart Complications: Seaweed chip’s high fiber content also reduces the body’s cholesterol levels. Less cholesterol means a reduced risk of blockage of blood vessels, a common catalyst for heart attacks and strokes.
-
Prevents Diabetes: Seaweed contains compounds that reduce the factors associated with diabetes, such as inflammation and excess fat retention.
-
Helps with Weight Loss: Seaweed chips have low amounts of calories, making them a must-have in the diet of anyone looking to lose weight. You can eat enough to feel full without exceeding your calorie count.
Tempura Seaweed Chips: A Delicious Twist
Tempura seaweed chips are the ultimate blend of umami, crispy, and salty flavors. They’re high in vitamins, iron, fiber, and protein. This type of snack is different from regular seaweed snacks, mainly because it’s coated with a crispy layer of fried tempura and not glutinous rice.
We’ll walk you through the process of making these crispy delights:
-
The first step is to gather all of the necessary ingredients. These are seaweed, all-purpose flour, sesame seeds, soy sauce, peanut oil, and soda water.
-
Cut the seaweed into thin slices.
-
Add flour, salt, and sesame seeds to a bowl. Stir the content.
-
Pour soda water into the bowl with the batter mixture and whisk well.
-
Pour peanut oil in a large pot and cook over medium heat until it is about 150 °C.
-
Add the seaweed to the bowl of batter and stir the content until it fully mixes.
-
Drop the batter-covered seaweed individually into the hot oil. Deep fry until they turn light gold in color.
-
Remove the deep-fried chips with a slotted spoon and drain them on a paper towel.
-
Sprinkle some salt on the tempura seaweed chips and serve with a soy sauce dip.
Don’t have time to make tempura seaweed chips? Order and enjoy ready-made Ohgiya Noriten Seaweed Tempura Chips: Original.
Bokksu is not responsible for the accuracy of the products’ nutritional or allergen information. Warning: California’s Proposition 65 may be in effect. For more information,visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov. Some Bokksu Market products are produced overseas and may have a Production Date printed on the packaging, rather than a Best Buy Date as is standard in North America. If your product appears expired, do not be alarmed! This is most likely the Production Date. All items have been double checked to ensure they are not expired and safe to eat.
Disclaimer
×
How to Enjoy Seaweed Chips: Serving Suggestions
If you’re looking to explore new flavors, we’ve got you covered. Here are some creative serving suggestions and pairing ideas for seaweed chips:
-
Pair it with sushi-grade fish: You can enjoy seaweed chips with fish like salmon, tuna, and yellowtail. Remember to add some soy sauce to add a salty flavor.
-
Add it to avocado toast: Crush the chips and use them as toppings for avocado toast.
-
Top it with sauce: The majority of the traditional sauces make excellent toppings for seaweed cheeks.
-
Pair it with avocado salad: A mixture of edamame, avocado, and soy sauce can combine to form a fantastic addition to your seaweed snack.
Comparing Seaweed Chips to Other Snacks
When comparing seaweed chips to other popular snacks in terms of nutritional value, flavor, and consumer appeal, you’ll find that they're a superior choice for snacking. Its major competitors are other crunchy snacks such as potato chips, rice cakes, nuts, and edamame.
Seaweed chips contain fewer calories than most of these other snacks. It also tends to contain more protein and fiber while offering less fat and carbs. Explore the Ohgiya Noriten Seaweed Tempura Chips: Wasabi, a fresh and healthy seaweed product that contains wasabi, which adds to its nutrient profile.
Where to Buy Seaweed Chips: Finding Your Next Snack Fix
You can find seaweed chips at the grocery store, local health food store, and supermarket, especially if you're in Korea.
Outside of the country, you can still get your hands on tasty Gim Bugak. Ordering online will give you the best chance. However, it’s difficult to find authentic products unless you shop at Bokksu Market.
We will have traditional seaweed chips and other snacks land at your location directly from Korea. Our stock ranges from regular Gim Bugak to special flavors like Yangban Korean Seaweed Chips: Shrimp. Be sure to browse through the snacks section of our site, filter for Korean chips, and add the chips you like to your cart.
DIY Seaweed Chips: Making Your Own at Home
For a fun and customizable approach to this healthy snack, you might consider making your own seaweed chips at home. Let’s guide you through the process.
Ingredients needed:
-
Roasted seaweed
-
Neutral oil
-
Glutinous rice flour (5 tablespoons)
-
Salt
-
Water (500 ml)
-
Toasted sesame seeds
Step-by-step guide:
-
Add all of the glutinous rice flour to a bowl heated over a low flame. Pour water and stir constantly. This will make the rice paste.
-
Spread a thin layer of rice paste over each seaweed sheet and fold them in half.
-
Place them separately in a dryer.
-
Evenly spread a much thicker layer of rice paste over the seaweed sheets.
-
Place sesame seeds on the coated layers and gently press them in with a spoon.
-
Dry the paste and seaweed sheets at a 60 °C temperature for 5 hours.
-
Cut the dried sheets into small, bite-sized pieces.
-
Deep-fry each piece in hot oil in a pan.
-
Sprinkle salt on the fried chips and mix. Your seaweed snack is ready to eat.
The Future of Snacking with Seaweed Chips
The future is bright for seaweed chips in the snack industry. As the market continues to grow, North America is primed to be a major consumer in the coming years, thanks to a growing need for healthier snack options.
Also, the planet is tilting towards better sustainability, which is a good sign for seaweed chips, thanks to their typical sustainable farming process, limited need for fresh water, and lack of need for toxic fertilizers. You can also trust manufacturers to come up with more innovative flavors and formats of this oceanic marvel.
-
Trending Posts
-
Author Bio
More from the blog
View all
