Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1899-07-27
Kelp Is Eaten by Californians as
q Salad.
A Food That Il Much RelislieI by Tho
Ehinesc-The Weed Will Soon Class
with FrOgs' Legs and
such DaintieY.

There is possibility that within the
next year or so we will have scawecd
on our tables as regular article OF
diet. Not as heavy food On which tc
do Il big days work, however, but more
as a relish, as we now use lettuce and
radishes. That seaweed is capable OF
being used as an article of food VIC
have only to go to the Chinese for proof
for these people have been eating the
stuff for centuries.
Californians have always appreciated
the algac from the standpoint OF the
beautiful. Many visitors to our coast
carry away an album with pressed sea
weeds. But now it is being regarded
seriously as a novel dainty for epicurcs
An analysis of the kelp shows that the
nutritious matter contained is small
but the gclatinous, slightly sharp flavor
is said to be delicious when ones palate
becomes educated to it.
Like oysters and olives, which deli
cate viands some people care for nat
urally, some acquire the taste for afte]
painful effort, and most people have
thrust upon them, the ccnnoisseurc:
will have to educate the palates of the
people before they can thoroughly ap
prcciate the scaweed.
Should the taste for this unique FOOD
assume large proportions, California
could undoubtedly compete with Japa1
in supplying the markets, as the edible
variety grows in profnsion here.
=, 1yn1r> -
into thin round cakes, which are Their
put into water and boiled. They be-
come soft and expand SO that wher
ready to eat they are about three times
the size they were before boiling. They
are either eaten alone or served in con-
junction with chicken or meat. Nor is
China the only place where some va
riety of the algae is used as common
article of food.
The Alaria Esculenta, commonly
called Bladtcrlocks. is regarded both
in Scotland and Ireland as a very tooth
some dainty; it is accorded the same
degree of respect that the French be
stow upon frogs legs. It is usually
eaten raw or plunged in boiling waite,
and then removed Immediately, serv.
ing it either hot or cold.
While there seems every possibility
that the scaweed will be given place
on our menus. it will never become 9
staple article Of food, owing to it's in.
digestibility. DR.. William \. Setchell
of the University of California, who j:
professor of botany and a wcll-knowr
contributor on scaweed subjects te
scientific journals, said that there was
not Il single variety of seaweed that con.
tanned enough nutritious substance tc
make it highly valuable as food, but
that if properly prepared the weed
might tickle the palate at the expense
Of terrific labor on the part Of the di.
gestivc organs. Prof, Setchell has just
returned from collecting seawceds in
the vicinity Of Fort Ross. Tie was &C.
companicd on his tour of investigation
by G. p. Mott, assistant in the botany
department. Together they succeeded
in securing so varieties, among them
the kind that is used in the manufacture
Of iodine.
Prot. Setchcll recounted that the
Scotch lady with whom he and Mr.. Mott
boarded at Fort Ross was extremely
fond of the Rladtlcrlocll variety, and
was very anxious that they should find
some of it, as she had not tasted any
since she had left Scotland.
Perhaps the variety that will gain
the greatest hold on a certain portion
of the community is the Fucus vesicu.
losrs, which is said to be the most
efficient remedy for obesity. One au.
thority on algac says that were this
variety used as the basis for an anti-fut
remedy it would mean thousands OF
dollars to the manufacturer and FRO
portionate falling off in flesh among
those afflicted with superabundancc
of fatty tissue.
1t is predicted that before long sea
weed will be put on bills of fare in the
princi pal restaurants here, alongside
the place of honor held by frogs legs,
Welsh rarebit. and sparrows' tongues.
San Francisco Gail.