Hijiki, Hizikia fusiforme, is a seaweed which is a plant that grows in marine or saltwater. Hijiki is also known as 'hiziki'. While it comes in different forms, it is most commonly identified as a black, finely shredded-looking seaweed that is sold dried and sealed in packs. Hijiki is found with other dried seaweed varieties and is found in specialty and Asian supermarkets. Hijiki is stored at room temperature similar to other dried seaweed.
This black vegetable is a staple ingredient in macrobiotic cooking, and is often served as a vegetable by itself. It can be prepared and mixed with other vegetables, such as cucumbers, carrots and shredded lettuces as a salad, or served by itself with a flavorful dressing and sesame seeds.
Hijiki is a high-fiber food: a 10g dried portion contains 6g fiber (or 22% daily values for fiber). It is also a good source of iron, calcium, and is fat-free. The same 10g dried portion has 40% and 10% daily values respectively for iron and calcium.
Reconstituting Dried Hijiki
Dried hijiki must be reconstituted or softened in warm or cold water before being used. To reconstitute dried hijiki, soak in water until soft and drain. A 2 oz. portion of dried hijiki roughly needs about 1 1/2 to 2 quarts of water. Place hijiki in a large bowl, add water to cover and let soak for about 30 minutes. Drain in a colander or a sieve to remove the soaking water, pressing on the seaweed to release any extra water. Rinse again in cold running water, and drain thoroughly. It is ready to be used in recipes. Hijiki swells to about 2 to 3 times the volume of dried hijiki once properly soaked.
Inorganic and Organic Arsenic Levels in Hijiki
While many people enjoy hijiki in salads, soups and as an ingredient for use in appetizers, some governmental agencies have placed notice to their citizens of limiting the amount of hijiki consumed or of avoiding it all together. New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Hong Kong are countries or areas with restrictions, or places that have official notices for the limited use of hijiki as a food product for consumption.
Hijiki is singled out as the only seaweed used for cooking that contains high levels of inorganic arsenic. Arsenic is an element found in nature. Organic and inorganic arsenic is found in much of the seaweed used for cooking, including kombu, wakame and nori. Some governmental agencies, such as the Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, have found organic arsenic to be less toxic than inorganic arsenic.
As for the safety of using hijiki in cooking and eating it as a food source, every individual must make an independent decision and use their own governmental agencies as guides. Soaking dried hijiki and draining it well afterwards does lower the total amount of inorganic arsenic that the hijiki contains. And hijiki is never served in its dried form, which contains the highest levels of inorganic arsenic of all seaweed.
References used, and resources for more information on the inorganic arsenic levels in hijiki:
- Food.gov.uk; Hijiki: Your questions Answered. (Site accessed: 10 July, 2010)
- Interscience.wiley.com; Ingestion of Hijiki seaweed and risk of arsenic poisoning. Nakajima, Yoshiaki; Endo, Yoko; Inoue, Yoshinori; Yamanaka, Kenzo; Kato, Koichi; Wanibuchi, Hideki; and Endo, Ginji. 28 June, 2006. (Site accessed 10 July, 2010)
- Ead.anl.gov; Arsenic. (Site accessed 10 July, 2010)
Renee Shelton - Renee Shelton is a classically trained culinarian frequently writing about baking, healthy cooking, fishing & sewing.
