How to make Yatsude kelp (eight-finger kelp) taste most meat-like
The leaves of the Yatsude kelp literally have eight “hands” – eight finger-like projections extending out, resembling a hand’s shape.
Ah, it’s like those leaf fans that long-nosed goblin imaginary creatures hold. Exactly like those. They’re even called “goblin feather fans” sometimes.
The kelp-like seaweed I bought before looked just like yatsude.
While yatsude leaves don’t seem edible, their color and texture were dead-ringers for kelp.
“……Hmm……well, it does have some umami flavor too.”
The umami compounds…glutamates I think, found in kelp. If I lick the salted surface, I can taste a faint umami sensation.
Umami is the foundation of Japanese cuisine. Maybe I can expand my repertoire with this stuff.
But there are concerns too.
“It says adding water then grilling gives it a meaty flavor……that marketing line is kinda scary.”
I can’t fathom kelp tasting meaty. Is it like those steak substitutes made from soybeans?
No, what ingredient could possibly make it taste like meat? Thinking about it, I get worried the broth might not come out as rich as I’d hoped when simmered.
But I already bought it, so I might as well give it a taste test.
“Rehydrating it or simmering it for broth shouldn’t make much difference. Let’s try both a kelp ‘steak’ and broth.”
I fill a small pot with water and add the yatsude-kombu .
Then I start heating the water.
This is the outdoor kitchen area where I made crab soup before. It’s just me today, but I’ll take it easy and experiment with creative cooking.
I prefer recreating the flavors of my homeland quietly and richly, alone.
“…..It says to remove it before boiling, so…it has softened but….it’s not meat.”
Following the usual kelp broth method, I remove it before boiling.
The yatsude-kombu has softened, but it’s not meat. However, it does have a nostalgic aroma – that characteristic seaweedy, briny scent mixed with a promised umami richness.
The “kombu steak” isn’t really my focus. The broth is what matters.
So without further ado, let’s taste it.
“Hmm…well it’s kelp…alright? A little different perhaps…? The aroma is unique but there’s definitely an umami richness there…”
Taking a sip, it’s a bit different from regular kelp, but there’s an unmistakable savory umami quality.
But it definitely doesn’t seem meaty. I can’t imagine reducing this into a steak-like flavor.
“……I guess I should simmer it down and add some salt…..”
I’ve gotten the basic idea. I can make something very similar to kelp broth…no doubt about that. Looks like I got my hands on some good stuff here.
Maybe I’ll try out the “kombu steak” too, just for fun.
I transfer the yatsude-kombu from the pot to an oiled frying pan and start grilling it.
The pan made from a small shield has a rounded bottom, but it’ll work fine.
The oil sizzles and pops under the moisture of the seaweed.
The kelp shifts and contracts, curling up slowly.
Being much thinner than meat, I flip it over rather quickly. Sure enough, one side is nicely browned already…..but seriously, how is this supposed to taste meaty? Did that market guy just feed me bogus info?
I keep cooking it with a skeptical mindset,
adding more oil and flipping frequently……
I was holding out a faint hope that more heat would bring out a meatier aroma, but had to rescue it from the pan before it burned completely.
The finished product is a browned piece of yatsude-kombu. Even though the cooking method seems correct, I can’t shake the feeling that I failed the premise from the start.
“Well…let’s give it a taste anyway…..”
Despite cooking it myself, I’m really not enthused about eating this…..
But I take a bite. Chompchomp.
…..Hmm….?
“Meaty…..maybe….? No, it’s seaweed but…..?”
Tasting it, it’s definitely not like regular kelp…..but…..
Still, it absolutely does not taste like meat. Just as expected, it’s nothing like I anticipated.
“Oh wait, maybe taking the broth first was the mistake. Let me just rehydrate it and cook it that way.”
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I heated it to make broth, but maybe that caused the umami to escape, explaining this result.
With that hypothesis, I rehydrate a new piece of yatsude-kombu in water, without heating this time. Just soaking it to soften.
Once it’s pliable, I’ll pan-fry it in oil again.
Sizzlesizzlepop……..this time it seems to have a better aroma than before, or maybe not…..
“Oi Mongrel, what’s that you’re cooking over there?”
“Hm? Oh, Barlgar. Just testing out this bizarre ingredient I found at the market. You doing some smoking over there?”
“Yeah, taking it easy today.”
As I’m pan-frying, the passing Barlgar calls out to me.
Seems he was smoking some meats over at his camp’s smoker. For a party or just for himself, he’s made quite a stockpile.
Smoked foods are great. I absolutely love the smoked cheeses in this world.
“……Eh, what is that stuff? Leaves?”
“Seaweed, though I don’t know the name.”
“You’re cooking an ingredient you don’t even know the name of?”
“Heh, I forgot to ask. I’ll have to ask someone from the Alliance next time.”
Time to flip it!
…..Hmm, not simmering it first means it’s browning darker than the last batch. Not sure if I’ve got the heat right…..
“Do you normally cook seaweed like this?”
“First time for me too. The guy selling it said it’s supposed to taste kinda meaty.”
“Oh, sounds interesting! Share a bite with me when you’re done, I’ll give you some of this smoked stuff too.”
“You sure you want a bite of something that might not even taste good? This is unknown territory.”
“A Guildsman needs a spirit of adventure!”
“I prefer to err on the side of caution but….I think it’s about done now. Barlgar, mind cutting this up on my makeshift cutting board here?”
“You got it…..hey, is this a buckler you put a handle on?”
“Just a piece of cookware, don’t overthink it.”
“As a fellow shield-user, I have complicated feelings about this…”
On the concave surface of the shield, Barlgar deftly slices the yatsude-kombu into portions.
Carving along the “finger” sections, he ends up with eight vaguely bacon-like strips.
Well, not actually bacon, but you get the idea.
“I’ll take one piece then.”
“Yeah, me too…..”
And we take our first bites. Munch……
….Oh?
“Not meat……but…..”
“There’s a…meaty quality to it…..maybe….?”
Tasting it, perhaps from the pan-frying or the browning or the added umami –
it does have a certain meatiness to the texture and flavor.
Not quite meat, but more like a meat substitute or mock meat of sorts. The mouthfeel is completely different, of course.
But it unexpectedly does have a distinct meatiness to it. A curious taste, for sure.
Curious, but still…..
“Hmm, if we want meaty flavor, shouldn’t we just eat actual meat instead?”
“Yeah, You got a point there Barlgar. I’m inclined to agree.”
From our usual meat-eating perspective, there’s not much need to eat this as a substitute.
It’s more of a novelty ingredient, meant for people who can’t eat meat, I suppose.
“You know what might help, Mongrel? Try cooking it with some animal fat next time.”
“If I use that, isn’t it basically just meat at that point? Kinda cheating, no?”
“Just give it a try. I’ve got some fat with me.”
“Well, okay. The texture won’t change, but let’s see.”
I add a dollop of animal fat to the pan and reheat the remaining yatsude-kombu.
Yeah, sautéing it in that fat, the aroma is unmistakably meaty now. Well, duh, I used animal fat.
And tasting the result…..yeah okay, this legit tastes like bacon!
“Nah, see this is cheating though, Barlgar. Of course it tastes meaty when you add animal fat.”
“Hahaha, it’s got that crazy boar meat flavor now. But isn’t this better?”
“Well, yeah, but….oh I bought some spices for it too, want to try adding those? Might make it even meatier.”
“Oho? Mongrel, you really went all-out buying stuff, huh? You good on funds?”
“Hah, I’ve actually been pretty broke lately.”
“See, when it comes to shopping you’re an idiot.”
“Hey, I’m making smart purchases here!”
After that, we had some fun messing around – adding various meat spices to the “yatsude-kombu steaks” to enhance the flavor, trying out silly cooking tricks, and so on.
That’s the fun of experimental cooking, you know?
I may have surpassed the Alliance countries when it comes to mastering how to make this stuff taste good.
In the end, our conclusion was that Barlgar’s smoked meats with some spices were the most delicious of all.
What a bunch of idiots we are.
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