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hijiki ( Sargassum fusiforme, syn. Hizikia fusiformis), sometimes called hiziki or tot (), is a brown algae edible seaweed that grows wild on the rocky coastlines of East Asia.
Hijiki has been a part of the Japanese culinary sphere and diet for centuries. Hijiki has been sold in United Kingdom natural products stores for 30 years and its culinary uses have been adopted in North America.
Recent studies have shown that hijiki contains potentially toxin quantities of inorganic arsenic, and the food safety agencies of several countries (excluding Japan), including Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States, have advised against its consumption.[1]
Starting in the 1960s, the word "hijiki" started to be used widely in the United States, and the product (imported in dried form from Japan) became widely available at natural food stores and Asian-American grocery stores, due to the influence of the Macrobiotic diet movement, and in the 1970s with the growing number of Japanese restaurants.
In Japan, hijiki is normally eaten with other foods such as vegetables or fish. It may be added to foods that have been steamed, boiled, marinated in soy sauce or fish sauce, cooked in oil, or added to soup, stir fries or quiches. Hijiki may be mixed with rice, but not used as a wrap, to prepare sushi. Konjac is typically prepared with hijiki mixed in to give the dish known by the same name its characteristic grey color and texture.
In Korea, the seaweed is called tot (톳) and eaten as namul (seasoned vegetable side dish) or cooked with bap (rice).
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan responded with a report pointing out that while the consumption of more than 4.7 g hijiki seaweed per day could result in an intake of inorganic arsenic that exceeds the tolerable daily intake for this substance, the average daily consumption for Japanese people is estimated at 0.9 g. Several of the reports from other food safety agencies acknowledged that occasional hijiki consumption was unlikely to cause significant health risks but advised against all consumption regardless. There are methods to process and greatly reduce arsenic from hijiki.
Although no known illnesses have been associated with consuming hijiki seaweed to date, inorganic arsenic has been identified as to humans. Exposure to inorganic arsenic has been linked with gastrointestinal effects, anemia, and liver damage. People who follow a macrobiotic diet that often includes large amounts of seaweed may be at greater risk.
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