Tororo kombu is dried kelp shavings. It’s an umami-rich ingredient that’s used as a garnish over soups, noodles, or rice bowls.
Tororo Kombu (とろろ昆布) is thin, and long flakes made by shaving dried kombu softened in vinegar. The machine-shaved paper-thin strips become mushy like grated mountain yam (tororo とろろ) when added to hot water or liquids, hence its name Tororo Kombu.
Use the popular ingredient as a garnish for miso soup, yakisoba, udon, as a wrapper for onigiri, or as a filler in tamagoyaki.
Another type of shaved kombu is oboro kombu (朧昆布). It’s more expensive than tororo kombu as it’s hand-shaved and uses high-quality kombu. Taste-wise, it’s mostly the same, it’s just a difference in production method.
What Does It Taste
It has a slightly sweet and umami-rich flavor.
Recipes Using Tororo Kombu
Where To Buy
You can purchase Tororo Kombu in Japanese grocery stores or online (ships globally).
Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.