Wakame (Undaria pinnatifida) is one of most common edible seaweeds in East Asian cuisine. Typically made in soup and salad. It is also served as a dumpling filling and a hot-pot food ingredient in China.

China Fishery Statistical Yearbook stated that 225,604 tons (drained weight) of wakame were produced in 2020 China, mainly from (75%+) Liaoning Province and (24%+) Shandong Province. At the same period in drained weight, South Korea closely reached 50,000 tons, and Japan 4,000 tons only. According to another statistical data, Japan imported at least 70% from China and 10% from South Korea to cover the needs in the past decades.

Wakame has become more and more popular among global consumers. Based on different serving ways, wakame could be processed into various specifications, whole and cuts, dried and frozen. The best known ones are Seasoned Wakame Salad and Dried Cut Wakame.

Nori literally means "seaweed" is a collective name for a series of edible seaweeds. In China, "Nori" refers particularly to "Japanese style seaweed (Pyropia yezoensis) mostly roasted to wrap sushi", first introduced and cultivated in 1980s by Japanese companies.

Jiangsu Province (80%) and Shandong Province (increasing) are the main production areas for nori in China. Report 2020 shows, China produced nearly 6 billions of standard sheets which is about the same as Japan (6.2B), the latter has been continuously reducing production for the past years. And the volume of South Korea is remarkable 12 billions.

Comparing to Japanese nori (Japan/China), Korean nori sheet (Pyropia tenera) has a thinner and friable body but a competitive price.