# Let's FURIKAKE! (Savory sprinkles for rice and other stuff) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [July 8, 2021, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-furikake-savory-sprinkles-for-rice-and-other-stuff/945987 "2021-07-08T14:37:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2021, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-furikake-savory-sprinkles-for-rice-and-other-stuff/945987/1 "2021-07-08T14:37:43Z")
This stuff is fantastic! For the last hour I’ve been sprinkling it into the palm of my hand and licking it up! I tried it on buttered toast, but it doesn’t go well with butter. I sprinkled it on saltine crackers, and it was good, but there was nothing to make it stick. To back up: > **Furikake** (振り掛け / ふりかけ) is a dry [Japanese](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuisine_of_Japan) [condiment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Condiment)[[1]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furikake#cite_note-1) to be sprinkled on top of cooked rice, vegetables, and fish, or used as an ingredient in [onigiri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onigiri). It typically consists of a mixture of [dried fish](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dried_fish), [sesame seeds](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sesame_seed), chopped [seaweed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edible_seaweed), sugar, salt, and [monosodium glutamate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate).[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furikake#cite_note-Mouritsen-2)[[3]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furikake#cite_note-Ambrose-3) Other flavorful ingredients such as [katsuobushi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katsuobushi) (sometimes indicated on the package as [bonito](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skipjack_tuna)), or okaka ([bonito flakes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonito_flakes) moistened with soy sauce and dried again), freeze-dried [salmon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salmon) particles, [shiso](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perilla), egg, powdered [miso](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miso), vegetables, etc., are often added to the mix.[[3]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furikake#cite_note-Ambrose-3) > > Furikake is often brightly colored and flaky. It can have a slight fish or seafood flavoring and is sometimes spicy. It can be used in Japanese cooking for [pickling](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickling) foods and for rice balls ([onigiri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onigiri)). Since 2003, furikake has increasingly gained popularity in the United States (particularly in Hawaii and on the West Coast) as a seasoning for baked or fried fish,[[4]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furikake#cite_note-4) raw fish salads[[5]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furikake#cite_note-5) and snack foods such as furikake party mix.[[6]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furikake#cite_note-6) It helps to like the taste of nori, the dark seaweed that’s wrapped around maki sushi rolls. (And I loved it from the first moment I tasted it.) This is the one I’ve been eating (although I didn’t get it from amazon – it was in the newly beefed-up international section of my local HEB grocery store): [https://www.amazon.com/JFC-Seto-Furikake-Seasoning-Ounce/dp/B073FS8H94](https://www.amazon.com/JFC-Seto-Furikake-Seasoning-Ounce/dp/B073FS8H94) I’m moved to try different varieties… this one is very good, and I’d also like to try one that’s a bit spicier. But on what? How do **you** furikake? ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2021, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-furikake-savory-sprinkles-for-rice-and-other-stuff/945987/2 "2021-07-08T15:00:59Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I’m moved to try different varieties… this one is very good, and I’d also like to try one that’s a bit spicier. But on what? If you’re looking for Japanese food that’s “spicy”, it will be tough going (except of course for wasabi). However, the more common _furikake_ is based on an herb called _[shiso](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiso)_. In English it’s called “beefsteak plant” which is a head-scratcher for me, because there’s nothing remotely beefy or steaky about it, nor would I use it with any red meat. It has a light aromatic taste that I don’t know how to describe except maybe a distant cousin of wintergreen. Anyhow, here it is: [https://www.amazon.com/JFC-Shiso-Fumi-Furikake-Seasoning/dp/B0006G5KE4/ref=sr\_1\_2?dchild=1&keywords=shiso+furikake&qid=1625756229&sr=8-2](https://www.amazon.com/JFC-Shiso-Fumi-Furikake-Seasoning/dp/B0006G5KE4/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=shiso+furikake&qid=1625756229&sr=8-2) ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2021, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-furikake-savory-sprinkles-for-rice-and-other-stuff/945987/3 "2021-07-08T15:21:24Z")
How do _you_ use this? I do like wasabi, and in my searching I noticed some varieties of furikake that have wasabi in them. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2021, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-furikake-savory-sprinkles-for-rice-and-other-stuff/945987/4 "2021-07-08T15:27:40Z")
A food truck we like ([Just Roll’d Up](https://justrolldup.com/) ) has it as an ingredient in one of their Poke Bowls. I like it!! ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2021, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-furikake-savory-sprinkles-for-rice-and-other-stuff/945987/5 "2021-07-08T15:38:06Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > How do _you_ use this? Oh. I’ve only ever seen it used as a tabletop rice condiment. It’s a pretty economical way to add a little pizzazz to a bowl of plain cooked rice. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2021, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-furikake-savory-sprinkles-for-rice-and-other-stuff/945987/6 "2021-07-08T15:46:54Z")
This is, AFAIK, the canonical use case. Topping for a bowl of rice. It’s also used similarly for certain noodle dishes that aren’t in broth. E.g., yakisoba or zaru soba It’s also used as a coating on rice balls, onigiri. Which is useful for making the exterior less sticky to handle as well as adding flavor. Furikake comes in an amazing variety of flavors. They can have constituents such as different kinds of flaked dried fish, dried scrambled egg, different seaweeds, dried kimchi, different dried flaked vegetables, and even super simple ones like dried red perilla (akajiso) or a mix of white salt and black sesame seeds (gomashio). ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2021, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-furikake-savory-sprinkles-for-rice-and-other-stuff/945987/7 "2021-07-08T15:49:41Z")
Oh yeah. The shaved fish furikake is fun. Put it on a steaming bowl of white rice, watch the muscle fibers curl and uncurl as if it’s alive. Delight your friends (or horrify them, depending on their ethnicity and/or sense of adventure). ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2021, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-furikake-savory-sprinkles-for-rice-and-other-stuff/945987/8 "2021-07-09T14:36:50Z")
_Furikake_ is great on pan fried salmon and sprinkled on mashed potato or sweet potato. Good in soups too. _Togarashi_ is the spicy equivalent to shake on stuff. It is Japanese 7 spice chili powder [Gochugaru](https://mykoreankitchen.com/gochugaru-korean-chili-powder/), Korean chili flakes is the single greatest condiment on earth. It is mildly spicy, fruity and fragrant and you can add it to anything. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2021, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-furikake-savory-sprinkles-for-rice-and-other-stuff/945987/9 "2021-07-09T15:23:07Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > However, the more common _furikake_ is based on an herb called _[shiso](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiso)_. In English it’s called “beefsteak plant” which is a head-scratcher for me, because there’s nothing remotely beefy or steaky about it, nor would I use it with any red meat. It has a light aromatic taste that I don’t know how to describe except maybe a distant cousin of wintergreen. Shiso (Perilla) is an easily grown and ornamental herb. It reseeds plentifully so you don’t have to worry about replanting it each year. [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/70/Purple_Perilla_foliage.JPG/1200px-Purple_Perilla_foliage.JPG) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/70/Purple_Perilla_foliage.JPG/1200px-Purple_Perilla_foliage.JPG) ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2021, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-furikake-savory-sprinkles-for-rice-and-other-stuff/945987/10 "2021-07-09T16:07:53Z")
The Korean version of furikake is kimjaban or doljaban. Hard to find online, but it’s roasted seaweed, usually with salt and sesame oil. It comes in spicy versions as well. You take a bowl of fresh rice, sprinkle some kimjaban on top, and eat it with kimchi. It’s the Korean version of a peanut-butter sandwich: cheap and easy to make, but filling so the kids don’t complain about being hungry in the middle of the afternoon. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2021, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-furikake-savory-sprinkles-for-rice-and-other-stuff/945987/11 "2021-07-09T16:20:02Z")
Confession time. _ThelmaLou hangs her head (and licks her fingers)_. I ate the whole jar of furikake yesterday. Not on rice or anything else. I ate it out of the palm of my hand. _I couldn’t stop!_ Is it any wonder I have to keep my ice cream treats in a freezer in my garage? The question is, will I buy another jar of it… _of course I will!_ ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2021, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-furikake-savory-sprinkles-for-rice-and-other-stuff/945987/12 "2021-07-09T16:24:06Z")
I used to have a bottle of [this kind of furikake](https://www.amazon.com/Katsuo-Mirin-Furikake1-50z-Pack-2/dp/B00BBFXL7C), and while it wasn’t bad on rice (even though it says it’s for salad and fish), I couldn’t get past the smell- it smelled almost exactly like TetraMin fish food flakes. It wasn’t the fishy smell exactly, it was that it was SO reminiscent of fish food flakes that it put me off eating it. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2021, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-furikake-savory-sprinkles-for-rice-and-other-stuff/945987/13 "2021-07-09T16:25:49Z")
How do you pronounce it? Furry Cake? ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2021, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-furikake-savory-sprinkles-for-rice-and-other-stuff/945987/14 "2021-07-09T16:27:21Z")
I am a fan of takoyaki (fried balls with octopus tentacles in them) and they just don’t taste right without furikake on them. It’s sprinkled magic. > [@kayaker](#): > > How do you pronounce it? Furry Cake? Foo-ree-cock-kay ---
**Author:** ![teelabrown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teelabrown/32/8412_2.png) [@teelabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teelabrown)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2021, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-furikake-savory-sprinkles-for-rice-and-other-stuff/945987/15 "2021-07-09T16:28:04Z")
Foo-ri-kah-keh. I love it, too. There are dozens of different types at my Japanese market, and I like to try a new one every time. I put it on rice for Japanese breakfast, and roll my onigiri around in it. I’ve seen it used on salmon fillets, but haven’t tried that yet. I will next time. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2021, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-furikake-savory-sprinkles-for-rice-and-other-stuff/945987/16 "2021-07-09T16:28:37Z")
_furry-cocky_ Which creates an interesting mental picture… > [@bump](#): > > I used to have a bottle of [this kind of furikake](https://www.amazon.com/Katsuo-Mirin-Furikake1-50z-Pack-2/dp/B00BBFXL7C), and while it wasn’t bad on rice (even though it says it’s for salad and fish), I couldn’t get past the smell As has been mentioned, there are many different kinds. I bought some a while ago, used it a few times, and finally wound up throwing it out. But this latest one… it must have street drugs in it or something… 😮 ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2021, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-furikake-savory-sprinkles-for-rice-and-other-stuff/945987/17 "2021-07-09T16:30:31Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > furry-cocky Close, that would be “furikaki”. It’s like how “sake” is often pronounced “socky” when it should be “sockay”. I’m pretty sure that people will know what you mean though. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2021, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-furikake-savory-sprinkles-for-rice-and-other-stuff/945987/18 "2021-07-09T17:00:16Z")
You mean like “to_may_-to/to_mah_-to”? Aw, [_Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off!_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOILZ_D3aRg) ---
**Author:** ![Didi44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2021, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-furikake-savory-sprinkles-for-rice-and-other-stuff/945987/19 "2021-07-09T17:07:40Z")
Fukikake mochiko chicken. Mochiko is rice flour that’s stickier than wheat flour and slightly sweet. Sprinkle the furikake immediately after frying. It’s also good on chazuku (tea and rice) or okayu / congee (rice porridge). Okayu is a staple from my childhood to settle an upset stomach when you can’t eat anything else. A little salt, a little furikake and ume (pickled plum) can be kept down when nothing else will. Be sure to read the label as some varieties of furikake contain a high amount of salt, MSG or sugar. My favorite furikake when I was young was a furikake made for chazuke, but my Mom wouldn’t let me have it too often because it contained a lot of MSG. And this was when Ajinomoto (pure MSG) and Ajishio (MSG and salt) were staples at the Japanese restaurant tables. My Mom used Ajinomoto to cook, but never Ajishio. LOL Edit: I tried the chazuke furikake when I was much older and couldn’t believe what a sodium bomb it was! I’m tempted sometimes to try it again, but never have. When I buy furikake now I always read the label and stay away from anything with salt and sugar too high on the ingredient list. Not trying to be healthy, but otherwise it’s too salty/sweet and no salt is too bland. FYI, shio is salt. So anything with shio in the name is probably high in salt. Same with sato, which means sugar. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2021, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-furikake-savory-sprinkles-for-rice-and-other-stuff/945987/20 "2021-07-09T19:18:54Z")
Very informative-- thank you! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-furikake-savory-sprinkles-for-rice-and-other-stuff/945987.md?page=2)