How to Prepare Sushi Seaweed

An up-close shot of nori seaweed

Nori, or edible Japanese seaweed, provides a wrap that encases various sushi rolls. Nori, purchased in flat sheets, is easy to prepare for a variety of sushi recipes, whether you're making a standard California roll or your own healthy version of a nori wrap. Preparing sushi seaweed at home doesn't require very much time and makes an excellent alternative to fatty deep-fried flour wraps and egg rolls.

Things You'll Need

• 1 cup blanched shrimp, shelled and deveined with tails removed
• Bowl
• 2 cups lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. white vinegar
• Braising brush
• Cutting board
• Nori sheets
• 1 cup cooked sticky rice
• 1/2 cup bean sprouts
• Sharp knife

Instructions

1. Place the blanched shrimp in a bowl containing the lemon juice and vinegar.

2. Dip the braising brush into the lemon mixture and brush it across the surface of the cutting board. Place the bowl of shrimp in the refrigerator.

3. Place sheets of nori seaweed onto the cutting board with the rough side facing up, which helps adhere the nori to the rice and other ingredients.

4. Spoon the sticky rice onto the center of a sheet of nori and spread it out evenly over the entire sheet with the back of a spoon. Each sheet of nori takes approximately 4 Tbsp. of sticky rice.

5. Spoon approximately 3 Tbsp. of bean sprouts per sheet of nori and spread them out evenly over the rice.

6. Remove the shrimp from the lemon mixture and place approximately four shrimp horizontally across the center of each sheet of nori.

7. Start at the bottom of one of the nori sheets and roll it inward until it forms a roll. Repeat with as many nori sheets as you are using.

8. Slice small rolls from the large roll of nori, making each roll approximately 1 inch wide. One nori wrap yields approximately six small sushi rolls.