Kawanori

In our town, kawanori (river seaweed) grows at the mouth of Iwashina and Naka Rivers, where fresh water and seawater mix. From December to February, the local people enter the river at low tide with rakes to collect the seaweed from the riverbed. The harvested kawanori is then washed with water and dried in the sun by spreading it on a net or by hanging it. After lightly roasting kawanori over a fire, you can add it to miso soup or mix it with katsuobushi (bonito flakes) and serve it over hot rice. It is a popular souvenir that you can only find in Matsuzaki.