Where to buy seaweed snack in Kyushu

Hi,
I will be in Fukuoka, Kumamoto and Nagasaki in mid Dec. I would like to buy seaweed without MSG (added seasoning) as snacks to be given to my friends.
Would appreciate any advice on where can I get these seaweed packs.
Is there any particular brand or type which are highly recommended.
Thanks.

I think you need to understand MSG first. MSG is the sea weed & the essence of Umami. Don't go by what others say. MSG scare is over rated & a herd mentality.There may be some exceptions but not majority just like any other food allergies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate

Thanks Amazinga for the information. This being the case, would appreciate any advice on accessible places in Kyushu where I can purchase such seaweed packets as snack gift for my friends. Thanks !

I am a Japanese living in Kyushu island but I can not imagine of specific "seaweed packs" or "seaweed snack". Would you please clarify what the seaweed snack is like?

I guess it might be Nori （海苔）or Konbu （昆布）or Nori flavored Potate chips.

Thanks frog1954 for responding to my query. I understand that nori is mainly used for sushi wrap and konbu is used for stock (not sure whether I am correct). What i meant seaweed snacks are those seaweed which we eat directly in smaller pieces by itself which are tasty and crispy when it is removed from the pack (usually it is individually wrapped). Those we get from convenience shop have added seasonings which may have masked the origin taste. I hope to find those seaweed which do not have / have less seasonings so that I can flavour the original taste of seaweed. Appreciate your advice and recommendation. Thanks !

Hi, DL:

...those seaweed which we eat directly in smaller pieces by itself which are tasty and crispy when it is removed from the pack (usually it is individually wrapped).

Well, it is (perhaps) made from konbu, crispy and individually wrapped. I think it is not so popular. As for myself, I have eaten "fried konbu" （揚げ昆布）but it is not individually wrapped. Fried konbu is usually packed with Japanese rice crackers. The pack is usually named "Fukiyose" （吹き寄せ）.

Fried Konbu

http://www.google.co.jp/imgres?imgurl=http://www.e-dashi.com/images/ok...

Fukiyose

http://www.rakuten.co.jp/ogurasansou/775581/

Are these what you meant?

Thank you very much frog1954 for your response.
I actually meant those individually packed seaweed which you commented that it is not popular - this explains why I hardly see it during the few trips when I was in Japan.

What you have posted seems another attractive alternative. Can you please advise where is a popular place buy these stuff and estimated cost. Any other recommendations on other type of seaweed snacks which I should not miss while in Kyushu. Thanks in advance.

What you have posted seems another attractive alternative.

Fukiyose?

Many company selling rice crackers deal in these things. You can buy it at the basement floor of department store in Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Kagoshima and other cities.

Another option is some nice Nori packages. Kyushu (particularly Ariake inland sea region) is one of the producing district of Nori. So there are many companies producing Nori package in Kyushu. Nori is used in Sushi, but it is also eaten with onigiri (rice ball) or just by itself. It is one of the traditional food in Soba restaurants. As for Nori, you may choose Ajituke-Nori (seasoned Nori) or Yaki-Nori (non-seasoned Nori). In general, Yaki-Nori uses high quality Nori, and if you do not want artificial taste, it might be better for gifts for your friend.

There are many other seaweeds in Japan including Wakame, Aosa, Mozuku. I think they are not familiar to foreign people, so most of the foreigner do not like them.

Enjoy Japanese seaweeds!

if I may want to ask for the recipe, and I wanted to try to make

shukron,

if I may want to ask for the recipe, and I wanted to try to make

You want to make fried konbu?

This is quite easy, though I have not make it by myself :-).

Buy Dashi Konbu（出汁昆布）. Cut it with scissors into pieces. Heat some kind of oil and fry cut Konbu. You can buy Dashi Konbu in supermarkets.

Hi,

Thanks for responding.
May I know where can I buy Yaki-Nori - also at supermarket basement? Yes, I believe I read somewhere that Nori package from Ariake inland sea region is a popular choice. Can you also advise where can I this Nori package as well ! Thanks.

Yakinori is sold every supermarkets and department stores (basement floor). And there are also specialized Nori shops in Ariake area. Which area in Kyushu are you visiting?

I will be visiting Fukuoka, Beppu, Kumamoto, Takachiho and Nagasaki. Would you be able to advise on some shops where I can buy the particular type of se wing in Takachiho Gorge in late Dec. Am planning to book a place to stay for a night but would give it a miss if it will be snowing heavily because am not confident of driving in heavy snowfall conditions. Thanks !

Sorry, part of my question was accidentally deleted off. Rewrite as follows :

I will be visiting Fukuoka, Beppu, Kumamoto, Takachiho and Nagasaki. Would you be able to advise on some shops where I can buy the particular type of seaweed that you have mentioned. Would need to check where is Ariake located and whether I will be passing by there.

On a separate note, would you be able to advise whether it will be snowing in Takachiho Gorge in late Dec. Am planning to book a place to stay for a night but would give it a miss if it will be snowing heavily because am not confident of driving in heavy snowfall conditions. Thanks !

Hi, DL:

I will be visiting Fukuoka, Beppu, Kumamoto, Takachiho and Nagasaki.

With this itinerary, only the Nori place is Fukuoka. I recommend you to buy at Yamamoto-Nori-Ten or Yamamotoyama. Honestly I do not to want to recommend these shops because they are not Kyushu original: Both of them are from Tokyo. But Nori in Ariake inland sea is one of the best in Japan, so probably these Tokyo shops use Ariake Nori as a raw material.

Yamamoto Nori Ten （山本海苔店）

http://www.yamamoto-noriten.co.jp/saiji/tenpo/

Hakata Hankyu Department Stores (JR Hakata station)
Hakata ward, Hakata-eki Chuou-gai 1-1

Yamamotoyama （山本山）also has a shop in Hakata Hankyu. Both are in the basement floor.

http://www.yamamotoyama.co.jp/shops/kyushu.html

whether it will be snowing in Takachiho Gorge in late Dec.

Are you planning to drive? Takachiho gorge is not so high so that the road will not covered with snow in general, but it depends on the weather of the day. Do you plan to drive from Oita to Kumamoto via Yamanami highway? This is much snowy place (higher than 1000 m). Once I drove snowy Yamanami highway. In some place the road was frozen and it was rather dangerous.

Thank you for providing the shop names to buy the nori seaweed. I hope I can easily find them to buy for my friends.

On my itinerary, I will be driving from Fukuoka to Oita and stay a night at Yufuin, following which I will drive from there to Mount Aso and then to Takachiho for a night. Will visit the Takachiho Gorge in the morning and then drive to Kumamoto for a night. Following which I will across over to Nagasaki by ferry and finally end off at Fukuoka. Not sure which highway to use, etc, as I will be using the GPS to guide me along. Would I encounter road with heavy snow along this route in end Dec ? Any advice appreciated.

Will there be any snacks, biscuits or food stuff which I should not missed buying back home from these places.

Sorry if I have taken so much of your time for the valuable advice and comments.

On my itinerary, I will be...

Yufuin, Takachiho, Kumamoto and Nagasaki by car seems to be nice. I think "Yamanami highway" from Yufuin to Aso is one of the most scenic mountain drive way in Japan. Usually you will go through with no snow problems, but that depends on the weather. Check the weather of the mountain top of Aso. This is the data for 2011.

http://translate.google.co.jp/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F...

Check "snow" column in 25 row. It says - meaning there is no snow in Dec 25th, 2011. If you click "前年" icon, you can see the data for 2010, 2009, etc. As for 25th Dec, Aso mountain top has no snow in 9 out of recent 10 years. This point is 1142.3 m high, the highest in your driving route. But you should check the weather forecast.

http://translate.google.co.jp/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F...

Will there be any snacks, biscuits or food stuff which I should not missed buying back home from these places.

I can not imagine of specific things but you can see many in the basement floor of the department stores (maybe after the end of the trip in Fukuoka). Or you may find some "Michi no Eki (roadside station)" (There are many on the road) during the drive where local stuff is sold. In general, the basement stuff is sold at fixed price so that you don't need to be worried about ripping off though it might be expensive.

Sorry if I have taken so much of your time for the valuable advice and comments.

It is just my pleasure, no worry. Rather I am afraid some experts may hesitate to answer because I wrote too much.

Thank you very much frog1954. Really appreciate all the comments and advise given. They are really very useful, especially your sharing on the scenic route, etc.

May I take this opportunity to wish you an early Merry and blessed Christmas !

DL,

I am very happy if you find my posts are useful. If you have more questions, please do not hesitate to write here.

I wish you a merry christmas and have a nice trip in kyushu!