Japan grades its nori across five levels. A+ is the highest — sheets so fine they're translucent when held to the light, reserved for omakase presentations where the nori itself is the point. B grade is the second tier: thicker, darker, the same clean ocean character, available in fifty-sheet catering packs because this is what professional kitchens actually run through service. The distinction between A+ and B grade is not quality in any meaningful sense — it is a calibration of delicacy versus durability. A+ sheets are fragile and expensive. B grade wraps, holds seams under compression, and cuts cleanly. It is the grade most Japanese restaurants operate on, and Shokunin sources it direct from Japanese producers.

Nori (海苔) has been cultivated in Japan for over a thousand years — the first written reference appears in the Taihō Code of 701, where it was listed as a form of taxation. The contemporary grading system was formalised by the Japan Nori Association and grades sheets on colour uniformity, surface lustre, aroma, thickness, and flavour intensity. A+ through to E marks the range from the most delicate and translucent to the most robust and intensely savoury. B grade sits in the bracket used by the bulk of the Japanese restaurant industry: high enough for quality, practical enough for volume. The character 海苔 combines the kanji for ocean (海) and a character describing the dark green-black of the harvested algae — visually apt when you see a box of nori sheets.

Is B grade nori good quality?

Yes. The grading system in Japan measures delicacy and specific sensory characteristics, not quality in the sense of freshness, flavour, or production standards. B grade nori is grown and dried to the same standards as A+ — the difference is that A+ sheets are thinner, more translucent, and have a slightly higher mineral character per gram. Restaurants that serve omakase sushi may use A+ for individual pieces where the nori visual is the centrepiece. For rolls, platters, and any kitchen producing volume, B grade is the industry standard choice.