Savory kombu seaweed is a main ingredient in making dashi, the broth at the core of Japanese cooking, and a small handful of the marine greens in a pot of beans can help texturize the legumes. But, unlike the veggie scraps and aromatics simmered to make a standard stock, kombu isn’t spent once it’s lent its mushroom-y umami to those flavor bases.
Leftover kombu can become the basis of tsukudani, a pickled condiment. In it, strips of kombu sauté in soy sauce, mirin (sweetened rice wine), vinegar, and sugar until tender. Its concentrated flavor means just a single spoonful can add instant punch to rice and noodle dishes, salads, and more.
A few ways to try it:
As a flavoring for onigiri (rice balls).
Mixed into a cold ramen salad, or hiyashi chuka.
Tossed into a bright summer cucumber salad. Side note: You can also make tsukudani out of cukes.
Atop a simple scoop of white rice.