Nori is a popular type of edible seaweed, particularly prevalent in Japanese cuisine. It is a dried and compressed form of a marine alga whose scientific name is Porphyra. In the form in which it is most commonly found for culinary use, nori takes the form of thin sheets ranging in colour from dark green to black. The nori production process is quite complex and resembles paper production. The algae are collected from the sea, then washed, crushed to a fine paste and spread on large frames where the water is drained and the algae allowed to dry. Finally, they are cut into sheets. Nori is essential in the preparation of sushi, especially types such as maki and temaki, where nori sheets are used to wrap rice and other ingredients. Algae are rich in vitamins, A, C, E, K and contain omega 3 fatty acids, fibre and the minerals iodine, selenium, iron, and magnesium. They also have a high protein content relative to their weight.