Edible seaweed

Edible seaweed, orsea vegetables, areseaweedsthat can be eaten and used forculinarypurposes.They typically contain high amounts offiber.They may belong to one of several groups ofmulticellularalgae: thered algae,green algae, andbrown algae.Seaweeds are also harvested or cultivated for theextractionofpolysaccharidessuch asalginate,agarandcarrageenan,gelatinous substancescollectively known ashydrocolloidsorphycocolloids. Hydrocolloids have attained commercial significance, especially in food production as food additives.The food industry exploits the gelling, water-retention,emulsifyingand other physical properties of these hydrocolloids.
Most edible seaweeds are marine algae whereas most freshwater algae are toxic. Some marine algae contain acids that irritate the digestion canal, while others can have alaxativeand electrolyte-balancing effect.Most marine macroalgae are nontoxic in normal quantities, but members of the genusLyngbyaare potentially lethal.Typically, poisoning is caused by eating fish which have fed onLyngbyaor on other fish which have done so;this is calledciguaterapoisoning.HandlingLyngbya majusculacan also causeseaweed dermatitis.Some species ofDesmarestiaare highly acidic, withvacuolesofsulfuric acidthat can cause severegastrointestinaldisorders.
Seaweeds are used extensively as food in coastal cuisines around the world, particularly inEast Asia,Southeast Asia, and thePacific Islands. Edible seaweeds are especially prominent in the cuisines ofChina,Japan,Korea, thePhilippines, andHawaii.Seaweeds are also traditionally consumed inIndonesia,Malaysia,Singapore,Vietnam,Myanmar, andSri Lanka, as well as in the islands ofMicronesia,Melanesia, andPolynesia.TheMāori peopleofNew Zealandtraditionally used a few species of red and green seaweed,Several species are also eaten byIndigenous Australians.
Seaweed is also consumed in many traditional European societies, inIcelandand westernNorway, the Atlantic coast ofFrance, northern and westernIreland,Walesand some coastal parts ofSouth West England,as well asNew Brunswick,Nova Scotia, andNewfoundland and Labrador. Cooking with seaweed flakes has become more and more popular in the western hemisphere.
Seaweeds are a good source of nutrients such asproteins,vitamins,minerals, and dietary fiber.Polyphenols,polysaccharides, andsterols, as well as otherbioactivemolecules, are mainly responsible for the healthy properties associated with seaweed. If seaweeds are compared to terrestrial plants, they have a higher proportion of essentialfatty acidsaseicosapentaenoic(EPA) anddocosahexaenoic(DHA) fatty acids.
Seaweed contains high levels ofiodine,tyrosinerelative to other foods.It is also rich incalciumandmagnesium.
Seaweed is a possible vegan source ofVitamin B12.The vitamin is obtained from symbiotic bacteria.However, theAcademy of Nutrition and Dieteticsconsiders seaweed to be an unreliable source of Vitamin B12 for human nutrition.
Seaweed are used in multiple cuisines:
Non-human feed:
Seaweeds are rich inpolysaccharidesthat could potentially be exploited asprebioticfunctional ingredients for both human and animal health applications. Prebiotics are non-digestible, selectively fermented compounds that stimulate the growth and/or activity of beneficial gut microbiota which, in turn, confer health benefits on the host.In addition, there are several secondary metabolites that are synthesized by algae such asterpenoids,oxylipins,phlorotannins, volatilehydrocarbons, and products of mixed biogenetic origin. Therefore, algae can be considered as a natural source of great interest, since they contain compounds with numerous biological activities and can be used as a functional ingredient in many technological applications to obtainfunctional foods.Polysaccharidesin seaweed may be metabolized in humans through the action of bacterial gutenzymes. Such enzymes are frequently produced in Japanese population due to their consumption of seaweeds.
Chondrus crispus(commonly known as Irish moss) is another red alga used in producing various food additives, along withKappaphycusand variousgigartinoidseaweeds.
As anutraceuticalproduct, some edible seaweeds are associated withanti-inflammatory,anti-allergic,antimutagenic,antitumor,antidiabetic,antioxidant,antihyperthensiveandneuroprotectiveproperties.Edible red macroalgae such asPalmaria palmata(Dulse),Porphyra tenera(Nori), andEisenia bicyclishave been measured as a relevant source of "alternativeprotein, minerals, and, eventually,fiber."
Feeding the seaweedAsparagopsis taxiformisto cows can reduce their methane emissions.
In some parts of Asia,nori海苔 (in Japan),zicai紫菜 (in China), andgim김 (in Korea), sheets of the dried red algaPorphyraare used in soups or to wrapsushioronigiri.
Japanese cuisinehas common names for seven types of seaweed, and thus the term for seaweed in Japanese is used primarily in scientific applications, and not in reference to food.
Agar-agar(kanten 寒天) is also widely used as a substitute forgelatin.Its use in Japan is believed to have been discovered accidentally by an innkeeper named Mino Tarōzaemon in the 17th century. However this origin is legendary.
The dish often served in western Chinese restaurants as 'Crispy Seaweed' is not seaweed but cabbage that has been dried and then fried.
Sea grapes(Caulerpa lentilliferaandCaulerpa racemosa) andGusô(Eucheumaspp.) are traditionally eaten in the cuisines of Southeast Asia (as well as inOceania).These edible warm-water seaweed were first commercially cultivated in thePhilippines. In the northern Philippines, the cold-water red seaweedsPorphyra atropurpurea,Pyropia vietnamensis,Halymenia formosa, and related species are also traditionally harvested from the wild and dried into black nori-like sheets calledgametwhich are used as ingredients in cooking.
Numerous other species of seaweeds are traditionally eaten in Southeast Asia, mainly in the Philippines, but also inIndonesia(especially eastern Indonesia),Malaysia,Singapore,Vietnam, andMyanmar. These include some members of the generaChaetomorpha,Enteromorpha,Hydroclathatrus,Padina,Sargassum,Palisada,Agardhiella,Gracilaria,Halymenia,Laurencia,Hypnea,Liagora, andSarcodia.
In the Philippines, a traditionalgelling ingredientisgulaman, which is made fromagar(first attested inSpanish dictionariesin 1754)andcarrageenan(first attested in c.1637)traditionally extracted mainly fromGracilariaspp. andEucheumaspp. that grow in shallow marine coastal areas in the Philippines. In modern times, they are also mass-produced in the pioneering tropicalseaweed farmingindustry in the country. It is also used as a substitute for gelatin. It is widely used in various traditional desserts.Carrageenan as a gelatin substitute has also spread to other parts ofSoutheast Asia, like inIndonesia, where it is used for desserts likees campur.
Seaweed is also processed into noodles by residents ofTiwi,Albay, which can be cooked intopancit canton,pancit luglug,spaghettiorcarbonara.
Common edible seaweedsinclude: