is edible kelp from the family Laminariaceae and is widely eaten in East Asia. It may also be referred to as konbu (Japanese), dashima or haidai . Some edible kelps in the family Laminariaceae are not always called kombu, such as arame, (Ecklonia kurome) or Macrocystis pyrifera. Most kombu is from the species Saccharina japonica (Laminaria japonica), extensively cultivated on ropes in the seas of Japan and Korea. With the development of cultivation technology, over 90% of Japanese kombu is cultivated, mostly in Hokkaido, but also as far south as the Seto Inland Sea.