Product Review: Laver Fish

JD and I both LOVE Laver Fish! Laver fish is the really cartoon-y looking fish analog that you sometimes see at Asian markets. It is also sometimes called beancurd fish, though it's not actually tofu. It's flavored and pressed yuba--basically thin, chewy sheets of soymilk--that's wrapped in nori. It's always sold frozen, and it has a chopstick down the center as an artificial bone. Not all versions are vegan, some contain egg white, and there are different varieties. We prefer the style that is just yuba, nori and soy sauce, but there are some that contain more flavorings, even some with mushroom added.


I love the flaky, light texture of laver fish, and JD says it's pretty close( in texture) to actual fish. I also love that it's minimally refined, since it's just yuba and nori pressed together. I've even found a recipe for making your own laver fish online that I'd like to try during this MoFo, if I can make it to one of the Asian markets.

JD wants me to mention how much the taste varies by brand, he doesn't enjoy the particular style/brand in these photos because it's too sweet, and he says you can't taste the nori--he's not even the biggest fan of nori, though he does appreciate the "sea flavor" it lends to dishes like this laver fish or sushi.


While it's minimally processed, we typically only eat it once a month or less, but it's is a relatively inexpensive convenience food (about $3), and it's considered 3.5 servings. Our favorite quick meal with laver fish is the one in the photos; pan-fried laver fish, boiled potatoes, and steamed, blanched or sautéed vegetables. JD likes to dress his potatoes with EB, while I prefer to make a dipping sauce out of Vegenaise, prepared horseradish, lemon juice, a pinch of sea salt, and lots of freshly cracked black pepper. I use this sauce on both the potatoes and the laver fish. This meal usually takes around 15 minutes to prepare, so we can make it in a snap, even when we're super-famished.


You can also prepare laver fish in other ways, and one of our favorite complex preparations is to make laver fish tacos, by thawing the laver fish, cutting it into thin strips, then lightly breading and frying it. When we make this, we usually serve it in corn tortillas with fresh homemade salsa--mango chipotle works especially well!