Laver, a red seaweed also known as nori, is commonly used as a sushi wrapper and has numerous health benefits. It is harvested in Japan and the British Isles, where it is used in pies and breads. Fresh laver can be eaten like chips, while dried laver is used to make a vitamin-rich pastry called laverb. It can be purchased in stores or made at home by boiling the laver and adding orange juice and butter.
Laver is a variety of red seaweed that grows off the coast of Japan and around the British Isles. Also called nori, it is commonly seen as a wrapper for sushi and associated with Japanese cuisine. The Welsh, Irish and Scots have also long harvested wild laver for use in pies and breads. This nutritious sea vegetable contains numerous health benefits and is often used in modern raw and vegan recipes.
Japan is the only country that grows laver for commercial use. Native Gaelic people who seek fresh laver for their recipes typically have to harvest it from the sea. It grows on top of nitrogen-rich waters near shores in a flat, slimy mass. Gatherers usually skim the mass from the surface of the water, dry it, and roast it in sheets. Cultivated laver needs little processing to make it safe to eat, but the wild variety must be strained and pasteurized before consumption.
Wrapping sushi isn’t the only way native Japanese consume this sea vegetable. Some foragers cut the dried pieces into strips and pack them in bags like potato chips. These chips can be eaten on their own or sprinkled on salads and appetizers. Freshly harvested seaweed ranges in color from pink to deep purple, only taking on its familiar green color during roasting.
Those on the British Isles often dry the red seaweed and use it as a concoction called a laverb. This vitamin-rich pastry serves as a breakfast food, a savory snack or as a crust for many different Gaelic pies and rustic tarts. It’s not a bread in the traditional sense, but it gets the name laverb because it’s often used as a baking ingredient. The seaweed imparts a rich, nutty flavor to breads, cakes, and crusts.
Grocery stores in the UK often sell prepared verb in cans, but home cooks in countries where reverb is rare can make their own. Prepared red seaweed is available in online stores and some organic and Asian grocery stores. The recipe combines about seven parts laver with one part orange juice and butter.
You have to boil the laver in water for 35-40 minutes, drain it and add it to a pan of melted butter. When the laver starts to dry out a little, you need to add the orange juice and stir until the mixture is very thick. From here, the prepared laverb can be added to any dough or hot cereal recipe.
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