<p><em>History of Kombu and Kombu Road</em> <br />Kombu seaweed from Hokkaido has been distributed throughout Japan for centuries and is an important commercial issue. Kombu seaweed harvested in Hokkaido were previously transported by boat, moving westward along the coast of Sea of ​​Japan to Osaka, a commercial center since that time. For this reason, wholesalers and processors of kombu seaweed are found mainly in or around Osaka. The route the kombu took from Hokkaido to its destination is called the Kombu road. It extends to China via Okinawa. <br /><br /><em>The different kombu seaweed in Japan</em> <br />Kombu algae are found in many countries around the world, including Japan, Russia, China, the Tasmanian Islands, Australia, South Africa, the Scandinavian Peninsula and Canada. In Japan, most of the kombu is harvested in Hokkaido, accounting for about 90% of total production. The waters of the Arctic Ocean that derive from Siberia to Hokkaido are rich in minerals and provide an environment that produces delicious kombu. The equipment used in Japan to dry kombu seaweed in the sun meets the most demanding sanitary standards, making Japanese kombu particularly popular worldwide.</p>

<p>The Saga Bay in the Ariake Sea is famous for the cultivation of nori, a seaweed that is widely used in Japanese cuisine. The region concentrate 20% of Japanese nori production, even up to 40% if including Fukuoka, Kumamoto and Nagasaki. The Saga Bay is surrounded by mountains which deposits and rivers wind down to the sea. The rich minerals they brought were responsible for the origins of nori seaweed cultivation at the beginning of the 20th Century.When eaten fresh from collection, this seaweed has a lovely salty taste, subtle and not at all overpowering. It is the harmony of gentle neighbouring mountain waters with salty marine currents which gives the well-renowned nori from Saga its unique earthy notes. It has a long, pleasant, fresh aftertaste. To produce dried nori seaweed, the fishermen chop and shred the fresh nori then mix it with sweet water.</p>