Sweet and Umami Homemade Seaweed Jam
Ever made something that was so unique and interesting, the flavor was more or less indescribable? And then you remembered that you are, in fact, a food blogger, and your literal job is to describe said food? Welcome to my homemade seaweed jam recipe. If I did have to describe this jam, as I sort of do, I would say it’s rich, sweet, so savory, all the umami, slightly caramelized, with a hint of ocean flavor. It’s somewhat reminiscent of marmite or vegemite, but sweeter and just better. I had the experience of eating some, and 10 minutes later just needing to get a little more because the flavor it left in my mouth was just so interesting and good. So far, I have enjoyed this homemade seaweed jam on toast with oat milk butter, and mixed with chili oil on noodles. Both are delicious. So go procure your wakame, get the stove to a simmer, and make some indescribable jam with me.
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About Wakame
There are plenty of edible types of seaweed, with different qualities and uses. Nori is a red sushi that gets processed into thin sheets and made into sushi. Dulse is often powdered and used for its strong seaweed flavor. Kelp is becoming more and more popular for its textural properties and more neutral flavor in salads and other dishes. Kombu is commonly used in Japan, especially in soup for its umami flavor. Seaweeds like Irish moss are used as a thickener and have little to no flavor.
The seaweed we used in this recipe is wakame. Wakame is a green seaweed that is most commonly found in seaweed salad (although you’ll find it in soup too, especially miso soup). It is most often sold dried, in shriveled looking black strips. In order to eat wakame, it needs to be rehydrated with water. I believe some people do eat it dehydrated as a snack, but I’ve never tried it. Make sure you store wakame in an airtight bag or container, because it can spoil if too much moisture gets to it. Rehydrated, wakame is silky, briny, and a little sweet.
Nutritionally, wakame (and all seaweed) is low in calories. It has a decent amount of protein and is virtually fat-free. Wakame is high in niacin, potassium, magnesium, beta-carotene, folate, and iodine.
I got my seaweed from a local seller, who forages wild seaweed off the coasts of Maine. They are dedicated to sustainable foraging, which is important to me, and I’d happily buy from them again. Once I get through the several pounds I bought, I suppose. You can read more and purchase seaweed from Ironbound Island Seaweed here.
Looking for Jams and Spreads? Try one of these!
- Quick Japanese Knotweed Jam with Mint
- Bittersweet Pomelo Jam with Thyme
- Two Crabapple Recipes: Crabapple Jelly and Butter
- Smoky Vegan Onion Jam
- Easy Kumquat Marmalade Recipe with Ginger
- Sweet and Savory Tomato Jam Recipe
- Taste of Summer Queen Anne’s Lace Jelly
- Creamy Vegan Black Raspberry Curd
Cooking with Seaweed? Try one of these Seaweed Recipes!
- Olive and Dulse (Seaweed) Vegan Scones
- White Bean Watermelon Gazpacho with Savory Almond Seaweed Granola
- Kabocha Squash Vegan Tempura Sushi Roll
- Homemade Vegan Seaweed Crackers
- Vegan Fish Fillets: A Versatile Vegetarian Fish Alternative
How to Make Homemade Seaweed Jam
This recipe requires a certain amount of trusting the process. There were several points when I was making this where I sampled a little bit and was immediately put off by the sweetness followed by the seaweed. Just suspend your doubt, keep on cooking, and the flavors will come together. Combine water with minced garlic, soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, black pepper, and nutritional yeast (if you don’t have nutritional yeast, it will be totally fine without it). Whisk that all together, and add your dried seaweed. You don’t need to cut it first, since we’ll be blending it later. Let it simmer for a while, so your seaweed rehydrates, starts to break down a little, and some of the water reduces. Now comes the immersion blender- give it a few zaps so the seaweed is all more or less diced. From there, add the sugar. Stir it together, and bring back to a simmer. As more water reduces, the flavors will start to meld together. Give it some time to get there. As it cooks, the seaweed flavor will be replaced with a rich umami flavor. Once the jam is thick and sticky it can be transferred to a jar to be stored in the fridge.
Sweet and Umami Homemade Seaweed Jam
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp. mirin
- 1 tsp. rice wine vinegar
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- 1 oz. dried wakame
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
Instructions
- Place your minced garlic, soy sauce, nutritional yeast, vinegar and black pepper in a saucepan, along with 3 cups of water. Whisk together, add the dried seaweed, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and let lightly simmer for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, take off the stove and use an immersion blender to break up the seaweed. Add the brown sugar, and return to the heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently to prevent burning, and cook for around 30 minutes so the jam thickens. Let the jam cool, and transfer to an airtight container. Store in the fridge, and enjoy.
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