Every jar of Essential Furikake has an ingredient most people have never heard of: sake kasu. It's a big part of why the blend tastes so rich and rounded, so we want to introduce you.
What is sake kasu?
When sake is brewed, the fermented rice mash is pressed to separate the liquid sake. What's left behind is a soft, fragrant paste called sake kasu, or sake lees. In Japan it has long been used in home cooking for soups, marinades and pickles, valued for its deep, savory and slightly fruity flavor.
Why we use it
We wanted Essential Furikake to have real depth without relying on added MSG or sugar. Sake kasu gives the blend a naturally rich, balanced umami that works alongside our nori and toasted sesame. We make ours in-house and dehydrate it so it can be blended into a dry seasoning.
How it tastes
In the finished blend you won't taste alcohol. What you get is a savory, gently tangy roundness that makes simple foods like rice, eggs and vegetables taste more complete.
The rest of the blend
Essential Furikake brings sake kasu together with roasted white and black sesame, Celtic sea salt, allulose and monkfruit, nutritional yeast, organic wild Atlantic nori and rice hull powder. No cane sugar, no corn syrup and no preservatives.
