Sushi Has Been Wrapped in Seaweed for at Least 1,500 Years

Seaweed is an old food. NOAA’s National Ocean Service states that for at least 1,500 years, the Japanese have enrobed a mixture of raw fish, sticky rice and other ingredients in a seaweed called nori. NOAA describes seaweed as chock-full of vitamins, minerals and fiber, and adds that it can be tasty. The name is a little unfair. NOAA calls the word seaweed a bona fide misnomer, because a weed is a plant that spreads so profusely it can harm the habitat where it takes hold. Seaweed is the common name for countless species of marine plants and algae. Its uses go well beyond the dinner table. According to NOAA, seaweeds are effective binding agents in commercial goods such as toothpaste and fruit jelly, and popular softeners in organic cosmetics and skin-care products.