Annie Chun’s Roasted Sesame Seaweed Snacks: Excellent and Addictive

I have been a fan of seaweed since high school. I went to a school where students from all around the world got to know about one another’s culture a lot. One of my Japanese friends let me try some of his seaweed over some rice. I was instantly in love…with the seaweed, not the guy. Fast forward a little more than a decade, and I found myself disappointed with all the seaweed snacks on the market.

• Also called Japanese horseradish

• Made from root of Eutrema Wasabi
• In the same family as mustard, cabbage, turnips, etc.
• Used as a condiment for sushi and sashimi

My introduction to Annie Chun’s roasted sesame seaweed snacks was truly haphazard. One day, as I once again reluctantly bought a pack of seaweed snacks (purposely not disclosing names of brands), the cashier asked me if I ever tried Annie Chun’s. I said, “No.” At this point, I was willing to try anything; I’m culinary adventurous. So I ditched the bag I was going to buy and purchased one of Annie Chun’s roasted sesame seaweed packs. Once I got home, I tried it out.

My taste buds did not know what hit them. You don’t get a distinct taste of sesame as you would think. All I can say is you taste goodness with just the right amount of saltiness and some slight sweetness. The thin sheets are crunchy yet dissolve quickly in your mouth. The point is these are the best seaweed snacks I have been able to find. They are so good that my children ask for them by name. Well, they just say, “Seaweed,” but I think this is impressive for a three- and two-year-old.

There are two choices of flavor. The first is what I have been talking about this whole time: roasted sesame. This flavor is marked as mild and just has a thin coating of sesame oil on each sheet. The second flavor option is wasabi. For those who like spicy, this option is for you. Since I do not like spicy food, I cannot personally tell you about the taste. But I have heard that it is good. However, everyone who has tried both flavors says that the roasted sesame flavor is the better choice.

In addition to choice in flavor, you can decide how you want to buy your packs of Annie Chun’s seaweed. The first option is by the pack. Sometimes this is a last resort for me if this is all that is left on the shelf. The second option is by the sleeve. Each sleeve contains 6 packs of roasted sesame snacks. Two sleeves make up the last option. The third option is buying by the case. This is how I usually buy them because they are so addictive. It is not uncommon to see store workers where I get them from snacking on pack after pack as they work. A case contains two sleeves. So you get 12 packs total. The benefit to buying a case is I get a discount from the store, and of course I have enough snacks on hand to hold me over to the next time I need a refill.

Try to eat the whole pack in one sitting. This will not be difficult to do and will be very pleasurable. However, if you leave them exposed to warm air too long then they become soft and lose the characteristic taste. I can actually tell if the place where I bought the snacks did not store them properly because they can have an off taste. If you are not going to eat a whole pack at once, I found putting them in the refrigerator keeps them nicely.

Only offer them to others if you have more than one pack on hand. There are some people who eat these seaweed snacks and don’t care for them. For example, one of my graduate courses always saw me eating these before teaching. They were curious, so I gave one to each student: it was a small class. Half thought they were only “okay.” However, during our next class session, three of the teachers said they bought some for their high school students to test out. That’s a long story, but suffice it to say people like sharing these snacks. But, make sure you are letting people experience Annie Chun’s and not other brands first. There is a major difference in taste. You also need to have more than one pack on hand, because when people do like them, they are instantly addicted and want as much as they can get from your stash. I cannot tell you how many times I had to give up my last piece to the beautiful brown eyes of my children.

I have nothing bad to say about Annie Chun’s roasted sesame seaweed snacks. They are excellent for snacking. But they can also be used in other applications. For example, I tear them over rice sometimes. Or if I do not have regular seaweed on hand when making miso soup, I use pieces of the sesame seaweed snacks. They are great on the go or just to munch on around the house. Give them a try if you have not already.

Annie Chun's recently rolled out some new additions to this line of seaweed snacks. They now offer two new flavors: brown sugar and cracked pepper and herbs. I tried the brown sugar thinking I could have my cake and eat it too. But, it literally tastes like brown sugar slapped on top of the regular seaweed snack. My kids did not even like this version. I have not tried the cracked pepper and herbs yet, mainly because I do not really include pepper in my food unless in small quantities (also why I don't eat the wasabi ones), but if I do get up the courage to try them out, I will let you know how they taste!