Homemade Furikake Seasoning

Also known as Japanese Rice Seasoning, this homemade version of Japanese rice seasoning is a salty, sweet and crunchy mix of ingredients with lots of room for improvisation. With a hint of seafood from smoked and fermented bonito flakes and the slightest heat from Aleppo chili flakes and wasabi powder, use it to flavor soups, salads, sprinkle over salmon or a variety of Asian dishes.

Prep Time15

Cook Time0

Course: spice mix

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: furikake seasoning

Servings: (1.5 tbsp per ser.)

Calories: 32kcal

Author: Kathy Marshall

Equipment

1 saute pan to toast sesame seeds

Ingredients

1/2 cup raw sesame seeds white (can sub black)
1 package Gimme Roasted Seaweed Snacks Gimme Seaweed Snacks (can sub nori sheets)
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp white sugar (can sub coconut sugar)
4 tbsp bonito flakes sun-dried bonito flakes
1 tsp wasabi powder wasabi powder
2 tsp Aleppo chili flakes sub red chili flakes

Instructions

Toast sesame seeds in preheated pan on medium-low, until they develop color but don't get overly brown, stirring all the while. They will pop like popcorn, but not break open. This makes it a little challenging so move quickly. Alternatively use toasted sesame seeds and forego this step.
Crush the bonito flakes, and the toasted seaweed snacks into smallish flakes. Reference photos in post for sizing compared to sesame seeds. I don't worry about getting them overly small and actually add a few larger bonito flakes into the mix at the end.
Store in an airtight container with your spices for up to a month or more. You can repurpose the little silica moisture absorbing pack from your seaweed snacks if you have it, and place it in amongst the furikake.

Video

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFwBUkaSgUH/?igsh=MWgzM29tczk0YWdzMg==

Notes

Customization: if you aren't a fan of seafood flavors or are a vegetarian/vegan, you can leave out the bonito flakes. Similarly you can adjust or leave out the wasabi/chili flakes if you don't like spicy foods. Furikake is not typically spicy, this is my take for flavor. If you leave out both of these, you will have a sweet/salty/sesame flavor, similar to Gomasio. This is a much simpler, but still great seasoning to have around to sprinkle on many foods.

Nutrition