7 Best Japanese Furikake Rice Seasonings
“Furikake (ふりかけ)” is a Japanese rice seasoning/condiment consisting of dry mini flakes or granules processed from ingredients such as meat, seafood (fish, seaweed), and eggs.
Besides the main ingredients, the majority of Furikake available in Japan contains shredded nori (seaweed) and sesame seeds.
Rice is an essential part of Japanese cuisine, and we like to eat a warm bowl of white rice with Furikake to make the plain taste of the rice flavorful and tasty.
In recent years, new types of Furikake have come out one after another, some of which even use freeze-dried ingredients that are rich in flavor and taste.
7 Best Furikake Products
Today, for the unfamiliar with Furikake, with its history, let me briefly introduce seven best-selling Furikake products in modern times.
The First Modern Furikake
Known as the first modern Furikake, “Gohan No Tomo (御飯の友: Friend of Rice)” was developed and put on the market in the early Taisho Period (Taisho: 1912 to 1926).
This Furikake still exists and is available online and at some supermarkets.
The main ingredient is the “Iriko (いりこ)” dried young sardine, packed with calcium, accompanied by kombu (kelp), shredded nori, and sesame seeds.
The Most Popular Furikake in the Postwar Period
The Furikake with the top market share in the postwar period is the “Noritama (のりたま)” that was introduced by Marumiya in 1959 and later gained tremendous popularity.
Furikake had been considered a luxury before Noritama came out. But after its debut, Furikake grabbed people’s attention and was popularized.
Noritama is a coined word composed of Nori and Tamago (egg), so this seasoning mainly consists of egg granules and shredded nori flakes.
Other Best-Selling Furikake
In addition to the Marumiya Noritama series, Mishima “Yukari (ゆかり)” and Nagatanien “Otona no Furikake (おとなのふりかけ)” are among the best-sellers.
Mishima Yukari
Introduced in 1970 by Mishima Foods, Yukari is the most famous/loved Shiso Furikake.
This seasoning mainly consists of particles of salted perilla leaves and can be used in various ways.
Nagatanien Otona no Furikake
Nagatanien Otona no Furikake is also one of the best-selling Furikake series in modern times. Released in 1989, today, it comes in many flavors.
Otona no Furikake means “Furikake for Adults”, and this product was initially developed based on that concept. Nonetheless, it was favored by young generations too and became a staple in many homes.
Marumiya Noritama Series
Marumiya Noritama has sibling products, including the below, and many of them have been long-time favorites of Japanese people.
Freeze-Dried Furikake
Lastly, let me introduce two freeze-dried Furikake with a good reputation on Amazon Japan.
Freeze-Dried Sea Urchin Uni Furikake
As you know, “Uni (うに)” is the Japanese word for sea urchin (roe).
The way of eating this Furikake is like this; sprinkle one pack on a bowl of white rice and ripen the freeze-dried sea urchin for a while.
Freeze-Dried Natto Furikake
The main ingredients of this product are freeze-dried natto (fermented soybeans) and three different varieties of dried seaweed shreds.
1 Response
[…] Furikake is a Japanese rice seasoning whose origin dates back to the Kamakura Period(1185 – 1333) of Japan.So Furikake is a traditional Japanese food.We sprinkle Furikake over hot white rice and enjoy rice with the rice seasoning.I also wrote about Furikake in my past article. […]