I’ve been trying to buy kombu seaweed for making dashi and other delights for about a month, but with no luck. Today, I tried my favourite Asian grocer – the famous Tai Kee at Haymarket – and was told that it has been removed from sale due to the Fukushima disaster. Apparently the radiation was being detected in the kelp and therefore harvesting and export have ceased.
I think that possibly it’s also produced for the Japanese market somewhere in Indonesia but my inquiries have not turned anything up so far.
This is, of course, a small disaster in itself. I have been assured that wakame, nori and other seaweed products have not been affected (most come in via Korea these days) but it’s still disturbing. If anyone has more information or can point me to an alternative source, I’d really appreciate it.
