Kombu is a flavorful seaweed rich in iodine, which you can cook with rice or beans to add more flavor (umami) to your dish. Kombu comes from the cold northern island of Hokkaido in Japan. By cooking kombu with your dish, you can give rice and beans extra flavor. The Japanese use kombu in the same way that most Europeans use bay leaves. Kombu comes from the northern island of Hokkaido, which is the place to grow kombu, thanks to the cold climate. Kombu naturally contains a lot of iodine (232.7 mg per 100 g). Although this is essentially a good substance, for some groups (pregnant women, people with thyroid problems, and children) there is an upper daily intake limit. That is why kombu is not eaten but cooked with food. It is recommended to cook 1 or 1/2 strip with rice, vegetables or legumes to obtain extra umami. Remove strip after cooking and do not eat. If you want to make dashisoak 1 strip of kombu and 2 pieces of shiitake in 1 liter of water in the fridge for 4 to 20 hours. After opening, store hermetically in a dry and dark place at room temperature (maximum 20 ° C).