Now it's limited to where you would be able to buy this, but Asian markets would be the most logical place in Wisconsin.

It's called kombu. It's basically dried kelp, which is packaged (similar to nori), and can be used for a ton of dishes.

The great thing about kombu, is that it'll save you time and calories.

Anyone who knows me knows I have an affinity for Asian cuisine. But this is the type of ingredient which can and should cross cultural cuisine barriers.

Umami is something that's tough to replace in a dish. The one way to do it would be by substituting kombu in your stock and braised dish preparation.