Tuesday, April 14, 2009

sweet, sustainable seaweed

The weekend WSJ Magazine published a great tidbit reminding us of the health benefits and availability of an often wasted food: Seaweed. From the article:

Sure the new publicity is focused on health benefits: it’s full of beta-carotene, vitamins B1 and B2 and might be an aid in cancer treatment. But perhaps the greatest value isn’t in helping the body fight fat or reducing cholesterol (it does both), instead it’s the start-to-finish experience of seaweed foraging.

Sun and rain produce the best land-lubber crops, but for seaweed foraging, the intense storms and high winds of April offer the greatest bounty: seaweed varieties in the spring are especially tender and flavorful. Search any exposed shoreline after a particularly high tide or a stout gale. Recently detached seaweed will be strewn across the sand.

I've only ever eaten seaweed cold and covered with some sort of sesame dressing but I'd be interested to try the varieties and recipes the WSJ suggests.

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