8 Delicious Ways to Enjoy Landsea Gomasio

Gomashio is a Japanese seasoning, traditionally consisting of toasted sesame seeds (goma) and salt (shio). At Umami Mart, we carry Landsea Gomasio, a Pacific Northwestern take on gomashio. Made in Eastsound, Washington by our friend Brooke Budner, Landsea Gomasio uses replaces salt with two ingredients found regionally and abundantly in Orcas Island: bull kelp, a type of seaweed with a naturally salty flavor and nettles, a vitamin-packed herb with medicinal properties. If you didn't read the ingredient list, you'd swear Landsea Gomasio must contain salt or something more than these three ingredients, but this simple seasoning packs a punch of flavor, and I've found several uses that make good dishes even better. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Noodle Soups

Sprinkle Landsea Gomasio on noodle soups, from humble instant ramen to homemade udon. Above, I made a simple chicken broth-based soup with soba noodles, tofu, boiled egg, and vegetables, which was the perfect soupy vehicle for gomashio.

2. Miso Soup

Soup doesn't have to have noodles in it to be good with gomashio. Miso soup is a no-brainer, but it doesn't have to be a Japanese soup to qualify as a good fit. Try it on a roasted tomato soup or cream of mushroom, or really any broth that could use an extra nutty kick.

3. Popcorn

Try adding Landsea Gomasio to popcorn. You can use it as a butter substitute, but for an extra good time, use it in addition to butter. If you're making the popcorn at home, pour on the hot butter first, then sprinkle on the gomashio and shake well to combine. So good!

4. Eggs

This morning, I cooked a soft boiled egg and topped it off with some truffle salt and Landsea Gomasio. I dusted it off in about 0.5 seconds. Try it on deviled eggs made with Kewpie mayo.

5. Rice

A few sprinkles of gomashio is an easy way to make a simple bowl of plain rice into something special. Of course, an added umeboshi is the cherry plum on top.

6. Salads

I'm a big fan of crunchy salad toppings, like seeds and nuts, so it makes sense that Landsea Gomasio would be a perfect thing to toss in to mixed greens. Other suggestions: add it on gomae-ae green beans or chrysanthemum greens in shira-ae. I think Landsea Gomasio would also be a great match on some standard Korean side dishes, like kong namul (soybean sprouts) or sukju namul (mung bean sprouts).

7. Onigiri

Onigiri, or rice balls, are the perfect snack. They're portable, delicious, and filling. Try Yoko's recipe for onigiri filled with tuna salad and roll the filled balls in Landsea Gomasio before tucking into seaweed.

8. Sliced Avocado

One of Yoko's favorite snacks is Avocado Sashimi with Yuzu Kosho. I took her recipe and added a sprinkle of Landsea Gomasio to complement the nutty and creamy avocado. Delicious!

Have you tried Landsea Gomasio on something you think is worth sharing? Let us all know in the comments.