What type of seaweed is used to wrap maki sushi?

The seaweed used to wrap maki sushi is nori. Nori is sold as thin, dark sheets that provide a lightly briny flavor, a crisp texture when dry, and a flexible wrapper once exposed to the moisture in sushi rice.

Although it looks like a simple sheet, nori is a processed edible red seaweed. The seaweed is shredded, spread into frames, and rack-dried in a method resembling papermaking. Sheets are often toasted before serving; toasted nori is called yaki-nori. Because nori quickly absorbs moisture from the air, packages commonly include a desiccant to help preserve its crispness.

Maki means rolled sushi, and nori may appear on the outside or inside. In a conventional hosomaki roll, the seaweed surrounds the rice and filling. In an uramaki, or inside-out roll, the rice is on the outside and the nori is hidden within. Nori is also widely used to wrap onigiri rice balls. It should not be confused with kombu, a different seaweed mainly valued for making stocks and broths.