Personally, I am not a generic seafood lover, however I do have specific things I like to eat and some variations of seaweed is on that list. When I do cook with seaweed, it is often hidden because while I do like the taste of the sea, my spouse does not like anything “fishy”. Some of these sea plants are not fishy and there are ways to incorporate them into our daily cooking.
People eating anything from our oceans these days have to realize that the foods contain whatever is in our oceans, from plastic to micro organisms, from mercury to lead, arsenic to cadmium, salt to iodine, and bits of amphipod allergens. So if you have allergies or sensitivities speak with your medical and dietary experts before consuming any sea vegetables. And, as with most things, consume sea food in moderation.
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Sea Vegetables
A sea vegetable is the name given to any plant or algae food that grows in or near the ocean. Ocean fronting Asian nations are famous for their kelp and algae-based broths, seaweed wrapped dishes, and bits of seaweed in various salads, stir-fry, and soups. But also Nordic cultures, Polynesians, and Caribbean people use sea vegetables in their dishes as well.
PopularScience writes, it’s one of the most abundant plants on the planet, a dietary staple for millions around the world, soaks up carbon, could be used to replace plastics, and is even a more eco-friendly cow feed (more seaweed means less methane in cow farts, according to some research).
With rising sea levels, we (or should I say our children’s children) may find a future that will broaden its reliance on leafy greens from the sea. Which is okay, because seaweed is great food; low in fat, and rich in fiber, minerals, and vitamins. For cooks, culinary seaweeds are also high in glutamates, natural compounds that stimulate umami, and function to make savory food taste great. When consumed in moderation, sea vegetables are considered a healthy addition to our diets.
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Dulse Seaweed
The word dulse (Palmaria palmata) is pronounced similarly to the word pulse, and I bought a 2oz organic bag of a Main Coast Wild Atlantic sea version. I bought it because I was not familiar with it, and someone told me it tasted like bacon. Well, I am here to tell you it does in fact have a hint of bacony flavor and crunch to it, but that occurred only when the seaweed was fried in oil. But also, it had no fishiness taste.
Dulse is a seaweed found in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and has been a part of northern European diets for centuries. The earliest record is from ~1400 years ago in Scotland. This plant is a red alga with leafy, deep rose to reddish purple fronds reminiscent of lettuce, but kind of leathery. It lives on the rocks, and are hand picked when the tide goes out, then rinsed and dried before packaging.
Dulse often appears in healthy salads and as Asian side dishes. It can be fried, baked into chips, grated into flakes as a topping, or ground into a powder as a flavor enhancer.
- Flavor Enhancer: Roughly chop the dulse, then bake in oven at lowest setting to thoroughly dry. Finally, grind up into a powder and put in a glass container with tight lid.
- Reconstitute: put a little bit of coarsely chopped pulse in a bowl, cover with warm water, and soak up to ~10min. Drain and use.
- (Note: Its volume increases ~3x when reconstituted, it is milder and less salty.)
- In recipes calling for cooked dark leafy vegetables, add about 1/2C of reconstituted dulse for added flavor.
- Add 1/4C reconstituted and chopped dulse to succotash, creamed corn, sautéed potatoes, or potato salad to add a flavor twist.
- Salad dressing: Reconstitute dulse in a vinaigrette, then chop and add to a salad of crisp greens topped with the vinaigrette.
- Soups: Cut small pieces with kitchen shears, put in instant ramen soups at the beginning so it has time to reconstitute.
- (Note: Its volume increases ~3x when reconstituted, it is milder and less salty.)
- Sandwich BLT: Fry the packaged dulse in avocado oil and drain. Add to bread, tomato, lettuce and dulse for a tasty sandwich.
- Egg + Cheese Sandwich: Fry dried dulse in avocado oil, drain and pat with paper-towels. Toast 2 slices bread, add a bit of Kewpie Mayo, sliced sharp cheddar cheese, and 2 over-medium eggs, topped with the fried dulse. Made this for breakfast today and it tasted great.
- Cheesy potatoes with eggs: Then I put the dulse in the airfryer set for ~8min and it crisped right up without any added oil, although it tasted fishier that frying. I made fried potatoes with eggs and added a handful of crumbled dulse into the dish and it tasted great.
- Toppings: I decided to use the cripy dulse as a topping for salads, omelettes, etc. So have put a bunch in a glass jar next to my prep station.
Hijiki
This seaweed is defined as fine, black or dark brown filaments, with a sweet mushroom-like taste, and crunchy-chewy texture. It is a part of Japanese, Chinese and Korean cuisines. I have had this, unknowingly, in onigiri and it was mixed with onions and mushrooms. Some also report that this is the least seaweedy of all the seaweeds.
This is a seaweed that is harvested in the wild, and processed in Japan, but only for a few months out of the year. There it is often served just braised, where it is simmered in soy sauce, mirin, and sake. The plant is divided into stems and leaves, and it is the leaves we are more likely to find and are easier to cook.
There are notes that hijiki must be soaked for 30min in lots of water (it will 3x volume) prior to being cooked. So it seems this is not used as a dried snack, although it can be eaten that way.
- Sauté with veggies like carrots or parsnips, burdock, lotus root, radishes, or turnips, and serve with rice.
- At the end of a stir-fry add and toss to mix in well and serve.
- Or serve hijiki as a topping to a stir-fry or eggs.
- Or you can just cut up into small flakes and just mix into plain white rice.
Irish Moss
Irish moss is a term used for several species of red algae, in the northern Atlantic, Chondrus crispus, while in the Carribbean it is Eucheumatopsis isiformis. This moss is commonly used as a thickener and stabilizer in milk products, and other processed foods. Both varieties contain carrageenan, an extract that is used in foods as a thickener and gelling agent. This is helpful as it is a vegan counterpoint to using bones.
Nutrition: Sea Moss contains 92 of the 102 minerals that our bodies need like zinc, iodine, iron, etc. It is rich in amino acids, vitamin C, vitamin A, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and minerals.
The common way this plant is used is in its gelatinous form. To do this rinse well to remove debris and salt, move to a bowl and cover with warm water, and soak for ~20min. Rinse again, and place in a soup pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Then remove from the heat to sit for ~20min. Use a slotted spoon to “fish” out the seaweed and put into a blender, add water (1C seaweed to 1/4C water) until smooth and creamy. Add a bit of water if you want to adjust the consistency. Then transfer to a glass container and put in the fridge.
- Caribbean Irish moss pudding is often flavored with cinnamon and vanilla and topped with milk and rum.
- In Ireland and Scotland, a similar traditional pudding and milk drink is made.
- Use as an egg replacer.
- Add a couple of T to shakes for nutrition boost.
- Add to soups or stews as a thickening agent.
Carrageenan
There is disagreement about consuming carrageenan so I consulted experts and scientific articles. To start, let me explain what it is and what it is used for, since the 1950’s, specifically in processed food. Carrageenan is made from sections of various red seaweeds in the Rhodophyceae family. Commonly, it is used as a thickener, gelling agent, emulsifier, and stabilizer; but in itself carrageenan has no nutritional value.
- Both carrageenan and agar come from seaweed.
- While some studies indicate carrageenan is harmful to the gut and highly inflammatory.
- Other studies document the opposite, and say there are problems with the initial reports. For instance, the original findings did not differentiate between carrageenan and poligeenan (or degraded carrageenan), and did not test in ways to mimic how it is used culinarily as a gell or mixed with proteins.
- Carrageenans are considered safe and allowed for consumption as food additives under FDA regulations in USA (Food and Drug Administration, 2018)
- Safe for consumption by the European Parliament and Council Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 (Annex II and Annex III).
- And safe by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA).
- Refined carrageenans are considered safe by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) with no evidence of adverse effects in humans (EFSA, 2018).
The only thing I could find is that the EU prohibits using poligeenans or carrageenans in infant formula as part of being extra cautious (1, 2). Even in studies as recent as 2021 carrageenans are being debated (3). Meanwhile, we are consuming it, often daily, without a clear safe overall dosage amount.
- In 2020, a daily intake of ~18–40 mg/kg/day was assessed by food industries reports [4,5].
- The 2001 Western diet average daily intake was estimated at ~250 mg/day [6].
- In 1984 JECF assigned an acceptable daily intake of carrageenan to body weight of 5 mg/kg (7).
- In the USA, 1970s adults had a daily intake of carrageenan in food of ~100 mg/day.
Many argue that while it is used in many products, it also may cause or promote:
- inflammation
- bloating
- irritable bowel syndrome
- glucose intolerance
- colon cancer
- food allergies
Kelp
NOAA defines kelp as, large brown algae that live in cool, relatively shallow waters close to the shore. They grow in dense groupings much like a forest on land. These underwater towers of kelp provide food and shelter for thousands of fish, invertebrates, and marine mammal species. The only thing I would add is that when reconstituted these leaves are large, and very slimy.
Kelp is not really a plant, so technically it may not be considered a seaweed; it is a heterokont, which is a completely unrelated group of organisms. So to be proper, I should get into the habit of calling it an algae. It is a thick sea vegetable that has a briny, mushroom-like umami. Its taste I find is first off salty, a little sweet, and sort of vegetal.
What made kelp so important through history was its use as ash. Kelp ash is rich in iodine and alkali, so was used in all sorts of daily products, and is an important dietary sources of iodine and iron.
Alaria (aka badderlocks, Alaria esculent): I have been told these are similar in taste and texture to wakame. So this is a traditional food in Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, and Ireland. Often folks will remove the midrib, and eat the blade and sometimes the leaflets.
Kombu (Laminaria digitata): Kombu is an important ingredient in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean cuisines. Kombu can be cooked with beans to help temper the undigestible sugars, to reduce flatulance. I however, primarily use kombu as the base for broths, and have used it in place of bay leaves in some stews, or when cooking grains. Unlike bay leaves, do not throw the kombu out, just chop it up and add back to the stew or grains.
Nutrition: WaPo writes, Kombu is known for It is high in iodine, which is essential for thyroid functioning; iron, which helps carry oxygen to the cells; calcium, which builds bones and teeth; as well as vitamins A and C, which support eyes and immunity, respectively.
When you see kombu it is in large, wide, flat segments, sort of like the shape of wide lasagna pasta. It is often dark green in color with a white dusty coating, which is the naturally occurring MSG. Kombu does not have a fishy smell, but it is briny and can thicken stock. I cook with this mainly as part of making broth, below are my recipes.
Wakame (Undaria pinnatifid): This is a species of kelp native to the cold coasts of the northwest Pacific Ocean. Eaten as a dried snack, I find it is sweet, but with a strong flavor. My son loves to snack on toasty sliced wakame, but I tend to use it in soups.
Wakame is also considered an invasive species in many parts of the world, including here in the San Francisco area. So eating these is a great way to deal with that invasion.
Nori
Perhaps one of the best-known edible seaweeds, nori (Pyropia sp.) is a red algae commonly used in Japanese food to wrap sushi or onigiri (rice balls). Originally consumed as a paste in Japan, it wasn’t until the Japanese paper-making process was invented in the mid 1700s that nori was formed into dried sheets.
Of course I have some of these in my pantry for making vegetarian sushi.
Salicornia
Salicornia is a salt tolerant flowering succulent (aka sea bean) that grows in salt marshes, on beaches near the shore, and mangroves. The species are native to North America, Europe, Central Asia, and southern Africa.
I have not eaten this plant. But I found that even while not related to true legumes, the reportedly stalks have a similar “green bean” crunch and snap. In Hawaii these plants are known as sea asparagus. Naturally salty, they are often served lightly sautéed with butter and herbs. In fact, dehydrated and powdered, Salicornia is sold under the brand name “Green Salt” as a salt substitute.
Sea Purslane
Like sea beans, sea purslane (Sesuvium portulacastrum) is a flowering succulent. The short plant lives in sandy coastline and salty marshlands. Indigenous People in Florida ate it raw, cooked, or pickled, and in the Philippines it is called dampalit or bilang and bilangbilang. Again, I have not eaten this so have relied on others to describe.
Summary
So I have bought and used some of these sea plants and algae in my cooking. It can be a wonderful addition, adding additional umami to my dishes or a hint of ocean. But I am sure we are going to be eating more of these over time.
Again, quoting from PopularScience, more seaweed farming is also a potentially major part of the solution for global food insecurity. A study published January 26 in the journal Nature Sustainability is shedding new light on just how much.
—Patty
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