Nori

Nori is a dried edible seaweed used in Japanese cuisine, usually made from species of the red algae genus Pyropia, and prized for its strong, distinctive flavor. It is typically pressed into flat sheets about 18 by 20 centimetres and roughly three grams in weight, most familiar as the wrapping for sushi and rice balls called onigiri, and made through a shredding and rack-drying process that resembles papermaking. Although not cultivated until the 1600s, nori has deep roots in Japan, where it has been used as currency, as an offering at shrines, and as food since the 700s.