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This homemade furikake (Japanese rice seasoning) includes nori (seaweed), toasted black and white sesame seeds, salt, and sugar for a simple and easy basic furikake known as ‘nori komi furikake’. Sprinkle this on steamed rice, udon noodles, onigiri, ramen, popcorn, and more to easily add flavor to any dish!
What is furikake?
Furikake is a popular Japanese rice seasoning that can be used as a dry condiment in many dishes, not just rice. It’s typically made of a mixture of nori (dried seaweed), sesame seeds, sugar, and salt. Some form of dried fish is often included, typically bonito flakes, dried shrimp, or freeze-dried salmon.
Flavor: Its taste is a combination of sweet and salty with plenty of umami flavor from the nori and nuttiness from the sesame seeds. The texture is delightfully crunchy from the crisp nori pieces and toasted sesame seeds.
This Japanese rice seasoning is fast, easy, and ready in just 5 minutes! It’s a quick and easy way to add flavor and umami to any meal. Best of all, you can make a big batch of it and store it in the fridge for at least a month!
Furikake Ingredients
- Nori seaweed – This is made of dried seaweed that’s been processed into a thin sheet. It has a delicious umami flavor that tastes like the ocean and should have no fishy flavor.
- White sesame seeds – Make sure to purchase toasted white sesame seeds to get its full nutty aroma and flavor.
- Black sesame seeds – Make sure to purchase toasted black sesame seeds for the same reasons above. Black sesame seeds add pleasing color contrast with the white sesame seeds but have the same flavor.
- Sugar – Sugar balances out the salt and draws out more of the other flavors.
- Salt – Salt acts to highlight all the flavors of this rice seasoning. Adjust to your liking.
Furikake Flavors
Plenty of flavors exist that can easily be found in Japanese or Asian grocery stores. Here are a few flavors to get ideas from when making this homemade version:
- Nori Komi Furikake – This is the most popular and basic furikake flavor, which is made with thin nori pieces, sesame seeds, salt, and sugar.
- Katsuo Furikake – Another popular flavor, this contains bonito flakes, sugar, and soy sauce which adds tons of umami flavor. It’s definitely a favorite of mine.
- Ebi – Contains crushed dried shrimp for a delicious sweet and savory seafood flavor.
- Noritamago – This version contains dried egg yolks and bonito flakes.
- Shiso – Made with dried red shiso (perilla) leaves. It has a lovely herbal flavor.
- Wasabi – Great for those who are looking for spicy furikake.
How to Make Furikake Seasoning
Use your hands, a sharp knife, or kitchen scissors to crumble or cut the nori sheets into small, thin strips or pieces. Add them to a bowl.
- Add the black and white sesame seeds, salt, and sugar to the nori pieces and mix them together.
- Next, add optional flavorings such as bonito flakes, dried herbs (I used dried parsley), and dried chili pepper such as gochugaru or togarashi. Wasabi powder is another option for spicy furikake. Taste and adjust the salt and sugar to your liking.
Serving Suggestions
- Mix with a bowl of plain rice to make furikake rice.
- Make rice balls – Onigiri, yaki onigiri, and Korean rice balls (jumeokbap).
- Sprinkle on udon noodles or ramen noodles.
- Entrees – Add to any meal like chicken teriyaki, salmon teriyaki, Asian sea bass, kani salad, or hamburgers.
- French fries or onion rings– Sprinkle a few teaspoons on top right after they come out of the fryer.
- Snacks – Sprinkle on top of ramen eggs, popcorn, or chex mix.
Storage Tips
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge to keep the nori crisp. Humidity will make the nori pieces soggy and they will lose their texture.
- Make sure all the ingredients are completely dried before storing. Wet or damp ingredients can shorten the shelf life.
I hope you enjoy this Japanese rice seasoning! Let me know how you like it by leaving a comment and rating. Happy cooking!
More recipes
Furikake (Japanese Rice Seasoning)
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons toasted black sesame seeds
- 2 nori sheets, See Note 1
- 1 teaspoon sugar, or more
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, or more
Optional flavorings
- 1 to 2 tablespoons bonito flakes
- 1 to 2 tablespoons dried shrimp
- 2 to 3 teaspoons dried shiso leaves , or other herbs
- ½ teaspoon ichimi togarashi (Japanese chili peppers), for spice
- ¼ teaspoon wasabi powder, for spice
Instructions
- Cut nori sheets: Using kitchen shears or a knife, cut the nori sheets into small, thin pieces, or crumble them by hand.2 nori sheets
- Mix: Add the nori pieces, white sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, sugar, and salt to a bowl. Mix together.4 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds, 2 tablespoons toasted black sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon sugar, ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Optional add-ins: Add as many or as few optional add-ins as you'd like and mix them together. Taste and adjust the salt and sugar to your liking.1 to 2 tablespoons bonito flakes, ½ teaspoon ichimi togarashi (Japanese chili peppers), 2 to 3 teaspoons dried shiso leaves
- Serve: Sprinkle a few teaspoons of furikake on rice, ramen, udon noodles, french fries, or any protein like chicken or salmon. Store leftovers in an airtight jar and keep them in the fridge for at least a month. Enjoy!
Notes
- Nori seaweed – This is a thin, flat sheet of seaweed that’s been processed and dried for consumption. A good substitute is seaweed snacks, which are seasoned and roasted seaweed that’s been individually packaged.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
The main difference between furikake and togarashi is that furikake is typically not spicy and doesn’t contain chili peppers, unlike togarashi. Furikake is a dry condiment that usually contains dried seaweed (nori), sesame seeds, dried fish (bonito or shrimp), salt, and sugar. While togarashi is also a dry condiment, its primary ingredient is chili pepper so its flavor is quite spicy.
I put your furikake seasoning on everything! So delicious and easy to make. Definitely glad I went with both black and white seeds. I used kosher salt instead of sea salt because that’s what I had available. Going to keep a stash of this in my fridge!
I put some of this on some steamed rice and it was SO good! Much better than just having plain recipe. Thanks for the recipe!
A new seasoning to keep on hand. I love the toasted elements and it goes great on a simple bowl of even regular pasta!
Wow – didn’t realize how easy it is to make furikake at home! Great recipe – I tried it last night for dinner and it was excellent!
I love this seasoning, it is spicy and tasty, perfect for every fried dish!
I love furikake seasoning but wanted a way to make it at home. This recipe gave me the perfect blend to enjoy again and again! So tasty and better than the package.
Thanks so much for this recipe. I really wanted to be able to make my own furikake because it is so hard to find at the supermarket. This was perfect!
THis homemade furikake is always better. Thanks for sharing this flavorful seasoning recipe and the options too. It’s quick and always makes my rice taste better.
I’ve been trying to replicate this seasoning from a restaurant, and this is a home run! We love it on noodles!
So excited to come across this recipe – it takes me back to when I spent several weeks in Japan. This Furikake seasoning is easy, authentic and flavoursome. I spy several recipes on your blog that I am excited to try. So happy to have found you!
This stuff is so good! I’ve always loved the store-bought or restaurant stuff but making it at home, it’s just so much tastier. Thanks for the recipe!
Very informative; answered all my questions about furikake. I will definitely be trying this recipe.
The flavor in this was incredible! Furikake is something I have always bought in the past, but I was so happy to come across your recipe as now I will always be able to have this on hand. I added a little wasabi powder for heat, and enjoyed this on my rice bowl this evening. Thrilled to have discovered your site – thank you!
Wow! This took my rice to an entirely new level! So flavorful full of umami and leaving you wanting to devour the entire bowl. Can’t wait to make this again.
This is delicious! I have been cooking more rice lately, and love this seasoning! Thanks for the share!
I love how easy and simple making this recipe is. I am so excited to have this at home. Thank you!
This seasoning sounds absolutely fantastic! Can’t wait to try it in some of my favorite recipes soon. 🙂
A wonderful way to take ordinary rice to extraordinary rice.
We eat rice often, so I can’t wait to try this seasoning! It looks so flavorful!
I love the idea of pre-making this Japanese rice seasoning blend, and having it ready to go anytime I wish to serve rice. Thanks for such detailed instructions.