Food · Fermented foods

Wakame (Japanese Wakame Seaweed)

わかめ (Wakame)

Also known as: Wakame, Undaria pinnatifida, 若布, わかめ, Mekabu (root portion), Kuki-wakame (stem), Naruto-wakame (Tokushima GI), Sanriku-wakame

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At a glance

Category	Food
Japanese labeling name	わかめ
Common Japanese notations	わかめ, 若布, 若芽, ワカメ, 鳴門わかめ, 三陸わかめ, 茎わかめ, めかぶ
Origin	Undaria pinnatifida; principal modern domestic harvest regions Sanriku (Iwate/Miyagi — volume leader, ~70% of domestic supply), Tokushima Naruto (Naruto-wakame — GI-protected premium), Hyogo (Awaji); significant Korean and Chinese imports for cost-positioned mass-market
Typical functions	Wakame miso-shiru — universal Japanese miso-soup ingredient, Wakame salad and ohitashi, Mekabu and kuki-wakame premium retail, Kaitsuke-wakame (cut wakame for instant rehydration) — major retail, Naruto-wakame premium gift retail (Tokushima GI)
Regulatory status in Japan	Standard agricultural product labeling. Naruto-wakame (Tokushima) GI-protected. Sanriku-wakame regional brand established. Domestic vs Korean/Chinese-imported origin disclosure essential. Not a designated allergen. Note: distinct from but related to undaria-pinnatifida-extract entry (cosmetic-extract focus).

Wakame (わかめ / 若布) — Undaria pinnatifida — is one of Japan's most consumed seaweeds with extensive OEM positions: as the universal wakame miso-shiru ingredient (defining Japanese miso-soup garnish), as wakame salad and ohitashi vegetable, as mekabu (the slimy nutrient-dense root portion) premium retail, as kuki-wakame (stem) retail, as kaitsuke-wakame (cut for instant rehydration — a major convenience retail format), and as premium gift retail (Naruto-wakame Tokushima GI, Sanriku-wakame Iwate/Miyagi). Sanriku is the volume domestic production region (~70%); Naruto provides premium GI specialty; significant Korean and Chinese imports supply cost-positioned mass-market.

Classification

Tags below link to other ingredients sharing the same attribute, so you can pivot from one ingredient to its peers.

Product applications

Functions

Flavoring

Regulatory tags

Culinary ingredient

Origin

Marine-derived

Used in (typical product categories)

Finished-product categories that commonly include this ingredient in Japanese-market formulations.

Salt-cured wakame retail (yu-toushi-shiozo, the volume retail format)
Cut and dried wakame (kaitsuke-wakame) — instant rehydration format
Mekabu (root portion, slimy texture, premium) retail
Kuki-wakame (stem) retail
Sanriku-wakame and Naruto-wakame premium gift retail
Awaji wakame regional specialty

What it is

Undaria pinnatifida brown seaweed. Distinct edible portions: blade (main wakame), kuki (stem), mekabu (sporophyll root portion).

Production: Sanriku (Iwate Miyagi) volume leader, Tokushima Naruto (GI), Hyogo Awaji. Korean and Chinese imports.

Typical uses in Japanese products

Wakame miso-shiru — universal application.

Wakame salad, ohitashi.

Mekabu — slimy texture premium retail.

Kuki-wakame stem retail.

Kaitsuke-wakame instant rehydration retail (major convenience category).

Naruto-wakame, Sanriku-wakame premium gift retail.

For OEM: salt-cured wakame retail, cut-dried convenience format, mekabu retail, kuki-wakame retail, premium GI gift retail, miso-soup ingredient supply.

Regulatory classification in Japan

Standard food labeling. Naruto-wakame Tokushima GI established. Sanriku-wakame regional brand.

Domestic vs Korean/Chinese-imported origin disclosure essential.

Distinct from undaria-pinnatifida-extract (cosmetic ingredient).

Not a designated allergen.

Regulatory classification in other markets

EU	Imported as wakame. Note: Undaria is invasive species in some EU coastal waters — regulatory awareness.
USA	Imported as wakame. Established Japanese-cuisine retail.
China	China is major wakame producer.
Korea	Korea has substantial miyeok (미역) tradition — major export industry.

Example products

Example finished products will be added after verification of origin (Sanriku / Naruto GI / Awaji / imported) and product format (salt-cured / cut-dried / mekabu / kuki).

All brand names and product names referenced anywhere on this site are the property of their respective owners. Example entries are provided for informational purposes only and do not imply endorsement.

Related ingredients

Used in similar product applications

Other ingredients commonly used in the same finished-product families.

Sharing similar functions

Ingredients that overlap on functional benefit tags.

From the same origin

Other ingredients that share an origin classification.

References

MEXT Standard Tables of Food Composition — わかめ各形態
Tokushima Naruto-wakame GI documentation

Last updated: 2026-04-28. Ingredient entries are reviewed at least annually against current regulatory listings.