The sushi bake trend has catapulted sales of fresh fish, tobiko and masago, Japanese mayonnaise, sushi rice, and nori sheets in Japanese groceries. The Asian markets have stocked up with sushi bake ingredients but are still known to run out because of the high demand.
Those packs of seasoned nori sheets that you used to only find in Korean groceries, in particular, were already flying off shelves as a delicious snack. This trend however has created an even higher demand for those who not only want to snack on these seaweed sheets but also to eat it with their homemade sushi bake trays.
If you’re the type who bought more nori sheets than they could consume with their sushi bake, you either want to eat the remaining nori sheets immediately or store it for another day. If you choose to store it, however, know that it needs a dry environment to stay crisp and delicious. Nori can absorb moisture and as a result, it will become soggy and will seemingly melt and stick together. You don’t want to eat that!
The best way and place to store your nori sheets is in the refrigerator. If you have a pack of those moisture-absorbent silica gel packs or any other sealed desiccant packs that come with the bulk packs of the nori sheets, place that in the package, too, to help keep any moisture away from the seaweed sheets. Keep any opened seaweed sheets this way but any that remain closed can be stored at room temperature away from the heat.
When you’re ready to serve and eat your sushi bake, take the nori sheets from the refrigerator and find that the sheets are not as crisp as you would like them, there’s a quick fix. Lightly toast them for the best texture. Here’s what you do it:
- 1. Separate the nori sheets as delicately as possible if able. (If not, use as is.)
- 2. Gently heat a frying pan over low heat.
- 3. Using tongs, place a sheet of nori on the hot surface for a few seconds. (It will begin to constrict slightly as it dries out.)
- 4. Flip and toast the other side, another few seconds.
- 5. Remove from heat.
These should be perfectly crisp and delicious again after being toasted and allowed to cool. You can also toast several of these sheets in an oven toaster. Just be careful not to over toast the sheets as burnt seaweed doesn’t taste good.
If you happen to be unlucky and can’t find your favorite brand of roasted seaweed sheets, you can make your own! You’ll still need to buy seaweed sheets but feel free to get the plain nori sheets used for making sushi. We can season these with some salt or even sesame seeds. Here’s what you do:
- 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F or 180 degrees C.
- 2. Place nori sheets in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- 3. Use a brush to lightly wet the surface of each sheet with water.
- 4. Lightly sprinkle with rock salt and/or sesame seeds.
- 5. Toast in the oven until just crisp.
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