CAULERPA: Many species of Caulerpa seaweeds can be found in the sea. However, Caulerpa lentillifera and C. racemosa are the two most popular edible seaweeds. They belong to the family Caulerpaceae. Caulerpa seaweeds are grape-like in appearance due to their grass-green colour. They are soft and succulent. These grape-like edible algae have a peppery taste and are used as salad vegetable.  It can be consumed both as raw or cooked form. They are also known as ‘Sea Grapes’ or Green Caviar. Caulerpa is suitable for pond culture. They are naturally found on sea bottoms in sub-tropical areas.

Nutritional Information: Protein content of C. lentillifera is 12.49%. Caulerpa is low in sugars and fat, making it a suitable food for weight loss. It is rich in minerals such as iodine, phosphorus, calcium, copper and magnesium. It is also rich in vitamin E with moderate amount of vitamin B1, vitamin B2 and niacin.

Food Uses: Caulerpa racemosa may be used as a salad: These seaweeds are collected and washed. After thorough cleaning, they are mixed with chopped onions and tomatoes. Salt is added to taste. Seaweed salad is ready.

Caulerpa serrulata is used as a vegetable. These seaweeds are washed and cleaned thoroughly in running water. Clean seaweeds are then taken in a vessel and boiled water is added into it until the seaweeds are immersed in it. Keep it aside for one minute before draining the water. Dry seaweeds are then mixed with chopped onions, ginger and tomatoes. Finally fermented fish sauce (patis) is poured into it and the mixture is mixed well before serving. Salt is added to the taste.

WINGED KELP: Kelps are a large group of seaweeds belonging to the brown algae class Phaeophyceae. There are about 30 different genera of kelps, out of which very few are considered edible. In this chapter, we discuss about Alaria esculenta, an edible kelp. It is commonly known as winged kelp. Other names of winged kelp are dabberlocks or badderlocks. Winged kelp belongs to the family Alariaceae.

This is a large brown seaweed having a wide distribution in shallow, cold waters and commonly found in coastal areas of Europe, North America and Japan. Alaria esculenta is a well-known seaweed in Ireland and it is a perennial algae. Winged kelps need a temperature between 6°C and 14°C (43°F and 57°F) for their healthy growth. They do not survive above 16°C. Winged kelps have a high growth rate and sometimes it grows to a maximum length of two meters. Its fronds are brown which consists of a distinct midrib with wavy, membranous lamina on either side. It is eaten raw as a salad after removing its midrib. It is suitable for cooking as a vegetable. Dried kelps are also consumed. Winged kelp is considered as an excellent source of iodine, iron, and other minerals.  It is also considered as one of the best sources of the best quality plant protein. Kelp powder and flakes are available in the market as food supplements.

Alaria esculenta is used for alginate production and also as animal fodder. It has wide applications in cosmetics industry especially in the preparation of body care products.

Alaria esculenta is rich in minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and zinc as well as vitamins A, C, E, K and B-vitamins thiamine, niacin, riboflavin and folate. Because of the presence of quality vitamins, these seaweeds are believed to increase immunity of human body.

DULSE: Scientific name of Dulse or Dilisk is Palmaria palmate and it belongs to the family Florideophyceae. Dulse is a small, reddish Atlantic seaweed found growing naturally along the coastal areas of Europe (Scotland, Ireland, and Iceland) and in North America (Canada and the United States of America).Today, dulse is successfully cultivated along the coastal areas of France, Ireland and Spain.

Dulse is the seaweed marketed under the trade name ‘Sea Parsley’ in Canada. Dulse is actually a red-coloured algae having perennial growth habit. Leaves (fronds) are leathery in appearance. Harvesting is done during May to October. Normally manual harvesting is done by hand picking. Shelf life of fresh dulse is very less and therefore processing by sun drying is recommended in order to extend its shelf life. As a standard, fresh dulse is sun-dried for six to eight hours to dehydrate it. Clean and dried dulse is then packed in air-tight plastic bags.

Fresh dulse is eaten raw as a salad component in Ireland and surrounding areas. In Iceland, dulse is eaten with butter. Fresh dulse is used in soups also. Fresh dulse can be pan-fried into chips. It can also be baked in the oven covered with cheese. Fresh dulse is chopped into fine fragments and used in meat preparations to enhance taste. The presence of glutamic acid in dulse increases the taste of food preparations and hence it can be used as a food additive. Dehydrated (sun-dried) dulse is eaten uncooked as a snack. Dried dulse is ground to flakes or a powder and is used as a food seasoning agent.

Dried dulse is a popular food in Canada which is served as a side dish, in soups and salads, as a sandwich component or as a seasoning powder. Nutritive value of dulse is very high. Dulse is a good source of dietary fibre. Dulse contains all trace elements needed by humans. It is rich in minerals and vitamins. Dulse is high in minerals such as iodine, phosphorus, calcium, and potassium and it is estimated that about 30% of the dry weight of dulse is made up of minerals. Dulse consists of proteins of high nutritive value (about 18%) and high amounts of vitamin C. Vitamin C plays a crucial role in iron absorption. Hence dulse diet is recommended for anemic patients. Dulse also has anthelmintic effect and acts as an antiseptic. Since dulse is rich in iodine, it can be used to prevent goiter.

IRISH MOSS: Scientific name of Irish moss is Chondrus crispus and it belongs to the family Gigartinaceae. Irish moss or Carrageenan Moss is small, reddish brown algae, found growing abundantly along the shores of Ireland and Atlantic coast of Europe and North America. Fresh Irish moss is soft and mucilaginous in texture. The mucilaginous body of irish moss is mainly made of a polysaccharide called carrageenan. Carrageenan makes up to 55% of its weight. Irish moss is used for various food purposes. It is used for jelly making, and as a clarifying agent for beer brewing. In some countries of Europe, irish moss is used for preparing blancmange, a sweet dessert made from milk and sugar with irish moss used as a thickening agent.

Irish Moss for Jelly Preparation: Collect the seaweeds and clean it thoroughly in running water. Dry it in the sun and comminuted into small fragments. These seaweed fragments are then boiled with water until it fully dissolves into water and a syrupy consistency is obtained. This syrup is then spread on a large tray and taken to gentle heat until all water is evaporated and large sheets of jelly is remained. Jelly sheets are shredded and stored in clean jars for later uses. Irish moss jelly has wide applications in culinary and medicinal fields as a thickening and stabilizing agent.

Irish Moss as a Clarifying Agent in Home brewing: A small amount of irish moss is added into the kettle along with the brewing wort. All the solids in the brewing mixture are then collected by the irish moss which is then removed from the mixture after cooling.

Irish Moss is an Industrial Source of Carrageenan: Irish moss seaweeds are used to extract carrageenan, a polysaccharide used as a thickener and stabilizing agent in milk and milk products.

Nutritive Value of Irish Moss: Irish moss is one of the richest sources of iron among the vegetarian diets. It also contains almost all B-vitamins, except vitamin B12. It is rich in dietary fibre and low in fat and sugars thus making it suitable for a healthy diet.

KOMBU: Scientific name of Kombu or Haidai is Saccharina japonica (formerly known as Laminaria japonica) and it belongs to the family Laminariaceae. Kombu is an edible kelp and is widely eaten in East Asian countries. Kombu has broad, shiny leaves and grows naturally in cool waters off the coasts of Japan and Korea. It is cultivated on a large scale in China.

Kombu is a large, brown seaweed of tropical climate and is one of the most consumed algae around the world. In pond culture, kombu is grown as an annual seaweed while naturally growing kombu is a biennial seaweed.

Health Benefits of Kombu: Kombu is rich in protein (10 %) and low in fat (2%) and sugars. Hence cconsumption of kombu is believed to regulate body weight. It contains considerable amounts of minerals and vitamins. Kombu is high in magnesium, calcium and iodine. Kombu seaweeds are anti-rheumatic, and anti-inflammatory. It is good for controlling blood pressure due to the presence of bioactive compounds, laminarin and laminin.

Food Uses of Kombu: Kombu is used for a variety of food purposes. Kombu is eaten raw as salads, and can be pickled. Dried and powdered kombu is used as seasoning and food flavoring agents in broths, stews and soups. It is used as a garnishing agent for rice preparations such as sushi. Dried shreds of kombu are used for food decorative purposes. Kombu is also consumed as a vegetable and as snacks. Kombu when adding to cooking beans improves its digestibility by converting the indigestible sugars to digestible form. Kombu is also rich in glutamic acid, an amino acid that gives taste to food.

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