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Before you dismiss the possibility of ever consuming seaweed, consider this: Most of you probably eat processed sea vegetables every day. They're used as thickeners and stabilizers in a variety of packaged foods. But the greener, more nutritious, and certainly most delicious way to indulge in seaweed is in its unprocessed form. We're talking about safely edible marine algae found on or near ocean shores that can be a valuable source of a wide array of nutrients. Sea vegetables are believed to be detoxifying and beneficial to the thyroid. In a Macrobiotic lifestyle, they are used to "cleanse the lymphatic system, stimulate stagnant liver energy, alkalize the blood." In fact, their concentrated nutrient profile has led to the suggestion that sea vegetables only be consumed in relatively small quantities.
Sea veggies can be used to generate electricity or to make underwear but best of all, they are a nutritious addition to your already earth-friendly diet.
8 Ways to Get By With a Little Kelp From Your Friends (along with a couple of recipes that the tide brought in):
1. Agar Agar
As Sara Novak tells us, agar agar is "a gelatinous substance derived from seaweed, which can be used as a vegetarian gelatin substitute or a thickener for vegan dishes." Low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium and high in folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, manganese, vitamin E, vitamin K, zinc, and copper, agar agar is so nice they named it twice.
2. Arame
Sweet and mild and loaded with iron, calcium, and iodine, arame is just what the ocean ordered for a salad topped with tofu sour cream dressing.
3. Dulse
A very salty seaweed, dulse is often used as a salt substitute in soups and stews. It can also be eaten raw (like jerky). Dulse has been harvested as an iron-rich food source for thousands of years.
4. Hijiki
If you're cooking for someone likely to be skeptical about seaweed, the mild flavor of hijiki is a good choice to be surreptitiously snuck into a soup or stew. The calcium and iron-rich hijiki is also cost-efficient as it quadruples in size when rehydrated. Try Braised Hiziki with Sweet Potatoes & Black Soybeans.
5. Kelp
This sea veggie is rich in carotene, iodine, chromium, and is also known for thyroid stimulation and its cleansing capabilities. "It can be used as a part of weight loss and it's also great for your skin balance and smoothness," says Sara Novak, who offers a simple but tasty Soba Noodles with Kelp recipe.
6. Kombu
Whether you buy it fresh, dried, pickled, or frozen, Kombu remains rich in iodine, dietary fiber, iron, and potassium. Actually a form of kelp, kombu is used to support the thyroid, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and prevent a sudden rise of the blood sugar level.
7. Nori
Usually encountered in the thin dark sheets used to make sushi, nori is probably the most familiar seaweed used in Western cuisine. The original plant is typically dark purplish-black, but when toasted, nori turns green and acquires a nutty flavor. Learn how to roll your own.
8. Wakame
Thin and stringy, wakame is deep green in color and used in making seaweed salad and miso soup. A good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Phosphorus, Riboflavin, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Copper, and Manganese, wakame is popular among those following a raw food or Macrobiotic lifestyle.
