Connect Guide to Sea Vegetables:
a great source of nutrients

When most people think of the sea as a food source they invariably refer to fish and shell fish… but only rarely to the wealth of vegetables that grow around our shores.
Rich in minerals like iodine, calcium, potassium, iron, B vitamins, and protein, sea vegetables are an invaluable addition to the diet. They are primarily used as a seasoning in the West and as gelling agents where they eradicate the need for animal derived gelatine. There are, of course, many food supplements based on sea kelp and spirulina which are finding great favour specifically for people who are feeling run down or have thinning hair and weak nails.
Most sea vegetables sold in the UK are in dried form – having already been cleaned. Whilst they may seem expensive, once soaked they yield generous servings and they have excellent keeping properties if kept in airtight conditions.
Using them is easy too. Dried nori, kombu, wakame and arame simply need to be soaked for five minutes or so if they are to be used uncooked in salad - though Nori is often simply crumbled as it is onto salads – and all can popped in their dried state straight into soups or stews. Dulse needs a little more preparation – an initial soaking, a rinse followed by a further soak for ten minutes. Fresh carrageen and laver will need a thorough rinse as will any edible seaweeds you are able to collect yourself at low tide. (It really is worth learning more about what can be harvested for free from our own coastline and there are guided walks and talks taking place throughout the summer at a range of locations). Nori is often toasted and then wrapped around balls of rice which are served with shoyu as a dipping sauce.
Arame usually comes shredded and is best served steamed or very lightly sauted or stir fried. Wakame has a more familiar taste – not unlike kale or strong green cabbage – the large central stalk should be discarded and the leaves chopped for simmering and adding to salad.
Agar, also known as agar agar (the word means jelly in Malay) and as Japanese or Ceylon moss… this is a fabulous substitute for animal derived gelatine. Use to make jellies, sweets and in terrines. It is usually sold as fl akes or powder and most health and speciality food stores have it in stock either loose to be sold by weight or packaged in their oriental foods section. Be sure to dissolve the powder or flakes thoroughly in boiling water before use. You will only need 2 teaspoons of powder to make a light one pint jelly.
Arame, is seriously rich in iron (great for veggies and vegans) and has a very mild taste which makes it easy to add to soups, mixed salads, and to serve over steamed vegetables. It has even been added to pasties and homity pies by one enterprising cook we know. Again you can find this fabulous ingredient in good health and speciality food stores.
Carrageen is also known as Irish moss and, no surprise, is harvested and eaten in Ireland where it has been credited as being valuable in the treatment of bronchial disorders and tuberculosis. Carragreen can also be used in place of Agar as a gelling agent in which case just 10g of dried carrageen will make a one pint blancmange type dessert when mixed with boiling milk. It can be sweetened and poured into a mould or have savour flavourings like herbs added to it to make a savoury mould.
Dulse flourishes in the North Atlantic and is eaten in Ireland, Iceland, parts of Canada and coastal New England. It is often found in packs of mixed sea salads and boasts a high mineral and iron content.
Kombu is cultivated in Japan where it is a prized sea vegetable. It is a little tough and so requires lengthy steaming if it is to be eaten on its own or simmering in a mixed sea and land vegetable soup. In Japan it is often found in miso based soups.
Laver is harvested principally off the West Coast of Wales and to a lesser degree off the coastal rocks of North Devon. Laver “Bread” is usually pickled in vinegar and is often served as an accompaniment to bacon and as an ingredient in sausages but can also be used in many vegetable dishes and substituted for Nori.
Nori is farmed on a large scale in Japan where it is sold primarily in sheets for making sushi dishes. In the UK it can be bought in sheet and flaked form and is not entirely dissimilar to Welsh and West Country harvested laver.
Wakame is a Japanese favourite which finds its way into many soups and vegetable side dishes. It is similar to Kombu but a little less tough.