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Sweet and Salty Nori Popcorn

By Rahanna Bisseret Martinez
Nori popcorn on a decorative platter.
Photo by Ed Anderson

I loved seaweed growing up. We often had nori on hand for sushi nights: we would prep a variety of fillings and then my sisters and I would roll our own sushi to our hearts’ content. But my favorite form of seaweed by far was the small containers of nori sheets for snacking, which come in flavors like sea salt, teriyaki, or olive oil. For me, it was always about the underlying sweet flavor in seaweed. This recipe calls for natural cane sugar, which has a variety of marketing names. So, if you can find an all-natural cane sugar, I really think the less-processed taste is worth it. Making popcorn on the stove gives the kernels a slightly toasty flavor. I like to put the popcorn into a cake pan after it’s done. This makes the popcorn turn into clusters and works really great if you’re sharing with others.

This recipe was excerpted from ‘Flavor+Us' by Rahanna Bisseret Martinez, one of the best cookbooks of 2023. Buy the full book on Amazon.

What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 5 cups

Ingredients

1 (4-to 5-g) pack roasted nori seaweed snacks
2 Tbsp. neutral oil, such as avocado or grapeseed
1⁄3 cup popcorn kernels
3 Tbsp. natural cane sugar

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Lightly oil an 8-inch round cake pan.

    Step 2

    In a blender, pulse the seaweed until you get small flakes. Place the seaweed in a small bowl and set it to the side.

    Step 3

    Set a stockpot with a lid on high heat. Add the oil and 2 kernels of popcorn and cover with the lid. Wait until both kernels pop, and then remove them from the pot with a slotted spoon.

    Step 4

    Off the heat, add the rest of the kernels. Quickly stir, then cover and place back on the heat. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the popping stops, occasionally shaking the pot to loosen unpopped kernels. Remove the pot from the heat, stir in the seaweed flakes and sugar, and pour the popcorn into the cake pan. Weight the popcorn with a dinner plate to form it into the pan.

    Step 5

    Let the popcorn cool for 5 minutes, then turn it upside down onto a serving plate or small cutting board to unmold the popcorn. To serve, roughly cut the popcorn disc into four pieces. The popcorn will crumble, but some pieces will stay in clusters. Store any leftovers in a sealed container for up to 2 days.

Flavor+US-COVER.jpg
Reprinted with permission from Flavor+Us: Cooking for Everyone by Rahanna Bisseret Martinez © 2023. Photographs by Ed Anderson © 2023. Illustrations by Marianna Fiero © 2023. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Buy the full book from Amazon or Penguin Random House.
TagsCookbooksSnackNoriSeaweedVeganSuper BowlNew Years

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