Month: November 2025

Many Westerners find black nori spooky, leading some to avoid onigiri (rice balls) and norimaki (rolled sushi). Yet it’s an indispensable ingredient in Japanese sushi, with sushi chefs even saying they “eat the aroma of nori.” Its appeal isn’t merely about flavor—it’s supported by scientifically backed aromatic compounds. Let’s take a closer look at how nori’s aroma directly contributes to the deliciousness of sushi.

One of the main components of nori’s aroma is dimethyl sulfide (DMS), a volatile sulfur compound. DMS contributes to nori’s distinctive “ocean aroma” and is detectable at very low concentrations, making nori’s flavor highly memorable. Additionally, nori contains aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, esters, and decomposition products derived from fatty acids. These elements create the nori’s complex fragrance.

Nori also contains umami components like free amino acids, taurine, and inosinic acid. The combination of aroma and taste ensures that the flavor and deliciousness of nori are richly perceived the moment it’s eaten. DMS, in particular, while not directly contributing sweetness or umami, triggers the brain to associate its “sea aroma” with freshness and rich flavor. This creates an effect where simply smelling it anticipates deliciousness. The aroma that gently rises immediately after cutting or upon entering the mouth naturally conveys the seaweed’s inherent flavor, drawing out a deeper taste experience.

Furthermore, there is evidence suggesting an interaction between aroma and umami. The umami components in nori, such as free amino acids (like glutamic acid) and inosinic acid, may work synergistically with volatile compounds to enhance how the flavor is perceived. While this relationship hasn’t been fully quantified, research in sensory science underscores the close connection between smell and taste, highlighting the importance of aroma in the overall sushi experience.

Sushi chefs leverage this property, employing techniques to maximize aroma through nori selection, timing of toasting or searing, and careful storage management. Furthermore, they cut or roll the nori immediately before serving to diffuse its aroma into the air, directly appealing to the customer’s sense of smell. Thus, the aroma of nori is not merely a flavor; it is a crucial element that determines the overall quality of sushi, resulting from the combination of its chemical properties and the chef’s skill.

Related contents:

Nori (Dried laver seaweed)

Fatty tuna and conger eel, along with squid and shrimp known for their sweetness, are sometimes served with salt instead of nikiri shoyu (soy sauce). A touch of grated yuzu zest or a few drops of kabosu juice are often added for their refreshing aroma.

It can be viewed from three angles: how chemistry shapes flavor, how technique refines timing, and how our senses perceive texture and aroma.

In sushi, using salt or citrus is not merely seasoning—it is a refined technique to balance umami, aroma, and texture delicately.

Salt enhances sushi’s flavor because it does more than just season. Taste receptors in the thousands of taste buds on the tongue’s surface are electrically stimulated by sodium ions from added salt, which send a “salty” signal to the brain. At the same time, sodium ions help glutamic and inosinic acids—the key umami compounds—bind more effectively to the receptors, amplifying the taste response. In other words, salt not only imparts saltiness but also heightens the sensitivity of umami receptors, enhancing the fish’s natural savory flavor.

Furthermore, salt gently draws out excess moisture from the surface of the fish through osmosis. This concentrates umami components such as free amino acids and nucleic acids, while reducing any fishy odor and sharpening the flavor profile.

A small amount of salt is also believed to stimulate saliva production, which helps counter the numbing effect of fat on the taste buds. As a result, flavor compounds reach the tongue more readily, making the sweetness and richness of the fat feel more distinct.

Citrus fruits, on the other hand, are rich in volatile aromatic compounds such as limonene. The refreshing scent that fills the nasal cavity when you chew conveys a sense of freshness. Meanwhile, acidic components like citric acid cut through the heaviness of the fat, leaving the palate clean and refreshed, and making the next piece even more enjoyable.

In essence, salt and citrus engage different senses—the tongue and the nose—not merely adding to sushi’s flavor, but bringing out the ingredients’ natural qualities and creating perfect harmony.

Traditionally, nigiri sushi strives to perfect the taste, aroma, texture, and appearance of the fish in a single piece. Sushi chefs never layer different toppings on one piece, because combining the flavors, aromas, and richness of multiple fish makes it difficult to fully appreciate each fish’s natural flavor in a single bite. The texture of each topping, its balance with the shari, and the beauty of its color and precise cuts are all carefully considered to preserve the complete taste and visual harmony of a single topping.

That said, some sushi restaurants, aiming to showcase their unique style, may serve combinations that emphasize visual impact, such as squid topped with sea urchin, salmon roe, or caviar. Each piece of sushi is a complete dish in itself, and this act is somewhat like eating meat and fish dishes together. In such cases, the technique a sushi chef should employ involves harmonizing the natural flavors with salt and citrus to draw out the squid’s rich sweetness, while meticulously adjusting the knife work to alter the squid’s texture.

This is not to say that modern sushi is bad, as shown in the image at the beginning. Undoubtedly, layered flavors can create a lingering taste and rich depth. Even at traditional sushi restaurants, if regular customers request such modern sushi, it may be served, but in reality, few customers ever ask for it.