Hijiki

Hijiki, a kind of seaweed, is nicknamed the elixir plant of the sea. The nickname is fully justified by the medicinal effect of this seaweed. It contains 98 kinds of minerals and the zinc content is 20 times as high as that of freshwater eel. Moreover, hijiki has 15 times as much calcium and 550 times as much iron as milk. The Japanese people eat hijiki in various ways: with rice, as a side dish, and as an accompaniment to alcoholic drinks. For this reason, more than 4,000 tons of hijiki are consumed in Japan every year. These days, Korean hijiki is most popular in the Japanese market. Most Korean hijiki is produced in the sea to the south of the Korean Peninsula, which is famous for the clean environment and ideal temperatures for hijiki growing. That is why Korean hijiki scores high abroad. In fact, it is considered the world’' best in all its aspects - the chewy taste as well as the delicious and deep sea scent. Over 90 percent of the hijiki produced in Korea is consumed in Japan.