Green laver (/ˈleɪvər, ˈlɑːvər/), known as aonori (アオノリ; 青海苔) in Japan, sea cabbage (海白菜) or hutai (滸苔) in China, and parae (파래) in Korean, is a type of edible green seaweed, including species from the genera Monostroma and Ulva (Ulva prolifera, Ulva pertusa, Ulva intestinalis). It is commercially cultivated in some bay areas in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, such as Ise Bay. It is rich in minerals such as calcium, magnesium, lithium, vitamins, and amino acids such as methionine. It is also called aosa (アオサ, Ulva pertusa) in some places in Japan.^[1]

Culinary use

Japan

Raw aonori (from Lake Hamana)

Okonomiyaki with aonori topping (the green powder)

It is used in its dried form for Japanese soups, tempura, and material for manufacturing dried nori and tsukudani and rice. It is also used in a powdered form, often blended with Ulva species of Ulvaceae as its production is limited.

It is used commonly for flavouring of some Japanese foods, usually by sprinkling the powder on the hot food, for its aroma:

• Fried noodles (yakisoba or yakiudon)
• Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake)
• Takoyaki (octopus dumpling ball)
• Isobe age
• Isobe mochi
• Shichimi (seven-spice seasoning)
• Japanese potato chips
• Misoshiru

Korea

Parae-gamja-jeon (green laver potato pancake)

Parae-muchim (seasoned green laver)

In Korea, parae is eaten as a namul vegetable. It is also used to make gim (dried laver sheets).

Similar species

Green laver shares the name "laver" with Porphyra umbilicalis, a red seaweed, which is harvested from the coasts of Scotland, Wales, and Ireland and used to prepare laverbread.^[2] Like "green laver", similar edible seaweeds with indigenous names translated as "laver", are found in many other countries around the world. In Hawaii, "the species Porphyra atropurpurea is considered a great delicacy, called Limu luau".^[2]