kombu
noun
kom·bu
ˈkäm-(ˌ)bü 
: an edible kelp (such as Saccharina japonica synonym Laminaria japonica) that is typically dried and aged and used especially in Japanese cooking as a seasoning in soup stock
The puzzling broth was dashi—the Japanese cook's basic soup stock—seasoned with another seaweed, kombu.—
Caroline Bates
Caroline BatesThick, dark green strips of kombu are used in soups and stews, and added to beans and grains to help tenderize them while cooking.—Jan Wolff
Jan WolffThe actual harvesting of kombu is done mainly from boats …—H. Jesse Walker
H. Jesse WalkerExamples of kombu in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Raw celtuce, a lettuce cultivar bred for its sweet stem rather than for its leaves, is cut into neat rectangles of a luminous parakeet green, interleaved with strips of jiggly kombu jelly, and plated atop a vermillion pool of Yongchun red vinegar.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
Dusted with umami-imparting kombu salt and served with an allium-forward green garlic labneh ranch dip, their childlike origin story is surprising.
—Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
This industrial-chic bar in Fushimi’s former red-light area is run by a kombu purveyor founded in 1912.
—Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 12 Jan. 2026
My favorite course was the savory uni cream served with crispy ribbons of Japanese sweet potatoes, threads of salty-sweet rishiri-kombu seaweed, an earthy mushroom gelée and drizzle of white soy sauce.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Dec. 2025
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Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
Dusted with umami-imparting kombu salt and served with an allium-forward green garlic labneh ranch dip, their childlike origin story is surprising.
—Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
This industrial-chic bar in Fushimi’s former red-light area is run by a kombu purveyor founded in 1912.
—Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 12 Jan. 2026
My favorite course was the savory uni cream served with crispy ribbons of Japanese sweet potatoes, threads of salty-sweet rishiri-kombu seaweed, an earthy mushroom gelée and drizzle of white soy sauce.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kombu
Cite this Entry
“Kombu.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kombu. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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