紫菜 (zǐcài) · laver; nori (edible seaweed)

Meanings

1 laver; nori (edible seaweed)
2 purple seaweed

About the ingredient

水产 Fish and seafood

Red seaweed dried into thin, dark sheets, the same seaweed as Japanese nori. In Chinese cooking a little goes into soups, such as the broth served with wontons in Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

Used in 4 dishes

紫菜蛋花汤 zǐcài dànhuātāng

馄饨 húntun

馄饨面 húntúnmiàn

酸汤水饺 suāntāng shuǐjiǎo

Characters

Examples

HSK 7-9

紫菜蛋花汤很容易做。

Zǐcài dànhuātāng hěn róngyì zuò.

Seaweed and egg drop soup is very easy to make.

HSK 7-9

日本寿司外面的紫菜叫海苔。

Rìběn shòusī wàimiàn de zǐcài jiào hǎitái.

The seaweed wrapping Japanese sushi is called nori.

Tips

usage

紫菜 and 海苔 are often confused: both refer to dried laver seaweed, but 紫菜 is the traditional Chinese term used for soup and cooking, while 海苔 typically describes the seasoned, roasted snack sheets popularized by Japanese and Korean cuisine.