Shortlist of Kanbutsu Dried Goods 乾物

The photos above are of hijiki and kiriboshi daikon .

KANBUTSU 乾物

Kanbutsu, the dried goods of both the sea and land, are key elements of the Japanese pantry. With a long shelf life, most are natural, without any added preservatives, and simply need to be reconstituted in water.

Here is a shortlist of essential kanbutsu items for your Japanese pantry.

Aonori – dried laver, often sprinkled on okonomiyaki
Aosa – dried laver, good in miso soup
Goma – sesame seeds
Irigoma – roasted sesame seeds
Kurogoma – black sesame seeds
Shirogoma – white sesame seeds
Surigoma – crushed sesame seeds
Hijiki – black sea vegetable rich in minerals and protein
Hoshi shiitake – dried shiitake mushrooms
Hoshi warabi – dried bracken, a type of sansai (mountain vegetable)
Hoshi zenmai – dried royal fern, a type of sansai (mountain vegetable)
Kaisou – generic term for sea vegetables, good for incorporating into salads
Kanpyo – dried gourd strip
Kanten – agar-agar made from tengusa (a sea vegetable), used as a gelatin
Kikurage – dried wood-ear mushroom
Kinako – flour made from dried soybeans, popular ingredient for wagashi
Kiriboshi daikon – dried strips of daikon
Kombu – sea vegetable, essential in making dashi
Koya dofu – freeze-dried tofu
Kuzuko – starch made from the kudzu plant, a thickening agent and popular ingredient with top chefs
Mame – generic term for beans
Azuki – little red beans, popular in wagashi
Daizu – soybeans
Kintoki – kidney beans
Kuromame – black beans
Men – generic term for noodles
Soba – buckwheat flour noodles
Soumen – thin wheat noodles
Udon – thick wheat noodles
Nori – dried laver, often used for rolled sushi
Wakame – sea vegetable, popular in miso soup and salads