Furikake is a sweet-savory Japanese seasoning traditionally eaten with rice. There’s a vast range of flavors, and you can even make it from scratch!
Furikake (ふりかけ) is a Japanese rice seasoning. The Japanese eat it with steamed rice and season Onigiri (rice balls). You can also sprinkle it over salads, poke bowls, avocado toast, popcorn, and grilled protein, such as chicken.
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What is Furikake
Furikake (“sprinkles”) is a flaky or powered Japanese seasoning consisting of sesame seeds, seaweed, and dried seafood, meat, or vegetables. It is often sprinkled over steamed rice to enjoy.
It’s popular with young children and adults and can come in single-serving packets or large containers.
Furikake goes back to the 12th century when there are records of making a salty powdered condiment consisting of dried sea bream, salmon, and shark. The current iteration was invented as a nutritional supplement in the early 20th century. It contained ground fish bones and poppy seeds to address the calcium and nutrient deficiency among the population.
The commercial variety contains a blend of bonito flakes, toasted sesame seeds, nori seaweed, sugar, and salt. Some include salmon flakes, umeboshi plum, shiso, egg, wasabi, and vegetables. Creative flavors include Japanese curry, mentaiko, dried natto, la-yu, and yuzu kosho.
What Does It Taste Like
The flavor can vary depending on the ingredients, but it tends to have a sweet and umami flavor.
How To Use
Sprinkle furikake seasoning over a bowl of rice, onigiri rice balls, grilled salmon, snacks, or anything you wish to add to a sweet-umami flavor.
Homemade Furikake
You can make homemade furikake with leftover umami-rich ingredients like kombu and katsuobushi from making dashi or Mentsuyu, daikon greens, or salted shiso leaves. It won’t contain preservatives and additives, and you won’t create waste!
Recipes Using Furikake
Where To Buy
Find it at Asian and Japanese grocery stores or in the ethnic food aisle of major supermarkets.
How To Choose The Best
Some brands include MSG. Look for those with No MSG or mutenka (無添加) labels.
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I love your website. My 86-yr old mother hungers for food she ate as a child. I am learning more about Japanese food recently and your website is a very good resource.
Thanks for your hard work and excellent photos.
Diana
Thank you so much for your kind words, Diana! I hope your mom enjoys your Japanese cooking. Even after living in the US for almost 20 years, I still miss home and good Japanese food helps curing my homesick. 🙂 Thank you for writing!
Is it possible to make my own furikake? Those we have here mostly contain MSG and I’m a bit vary of them. What are your recommended brands?
Hi Jayne! Yes we can make our own furikake too (hmm thanks for the idea of future recipe!) There are SOOOO many brandds of furikake out there. I’m not sure what kinds your Asian store carries… But if they are imported, look for “無添加” sign. We have more no MSG products in Japan, and if they were imported from Japan (no English), you have more chances to get MSG-free version.
Thanks for the tip, Nami. I need to look carefully. We do have some specialty Japanese food stores around. I usually get my miso paste, mirin and other stuff there. Hopefully I can find something without MSG! 🙂
Thank you so much for creating this entry!
My pleasure! 🙂