Take a trip to the produce aisle in any Western country’s grocery store and you will find vegetables of all colors that were harvested from the earth. Tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, and beets are just a few that come to mind. It would be easy to assume that land-based plants are the only source of delicious and nutritious produce. But, that assumption leaves out one very important type of food—the sea vegetable.
A sea vegetable is the name given to plant and algae foods that grow in or near the ocean. For thousands of years cuisine from coastal nations around the world have featured and celebrated the salty flavors of seaweeds. Asian nations like Japan and China are famous for their algae-based broths and seaweed wrapped fish, but Nordic cultures, Polynesians, and people from the Caribbean have also included sea vegetables in their diets. Low in fat and rich in fiber, minerals, and vitamins, seaweed is considered a healthy option when consumed in moderation.
Here we present a list of some of the tastiest and most common sea vegetables.
Kelp
Kelps are a type of large and leafy brown algae that form dense forests close to shore. There are many species of kelp used in cooking. Asian cuisine uses sliced wakame (Undaria pinnatifid), in seaweed salad and kombu (Laminaria digitata) as the base for dashi broths of ramen soups. Alaria (Alaria esculent), also known as badderlocks, is similar in taste and texture to the wakame algae but grows in the Atlantic and is a traditional food used in Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, and Ireland. For those who like a milder and sweeter taste, Arame kelp (Ecklonia bicyclis) is often used in stir fry dishes much like traditional vegetables.
Salicornia
Known as the sea bean, Salicornia is a salt tolerant plant that grows in coastal marshlands near the shore. They are a flowering succulent with branching stalks and can look like a thick and rotund grass. In no way related to true beans, sea beans stalks have a similar crunch and snap to green beans or asparagus from the garden. Naturally salty, they are best served lightly sautéed with butter and herbs.
Dulse
A red alga with leafy, red fronds similar to lettuce, dulse (Palmaria palmata) is a seaweed often used in salads and side dishes. Found in both the Atlantic and Pacific, dulse has been used in northern European diets for centuries. Full of minerals, dulse has a salty flavor when dried which is often taken advantage of in the flavoring of common dishes like eggs and potatoes. Its flavor has even been likened to the taste of bacon and can be a salty addition to a bag of popcorn.
Nori
Perhaps one of the best-known edible seaweeds, nori (Pyropia sp.) is a red algae commonly used in Japanese food to wrap sushi. It is also known as Gim in Korea and laver in Ireland and Wales. Originally consumed as a paste in Japan, it wasn’t until the Japanese paper-making process was invented in the mid 1700s that nori was formed into dried sheets.
Irish Moss
Irish moss is a term used for several species of red algae. In the northern Atlantic,Chondrus crispus claims the name while in the Carribbean it is Eucheumatopsis isiformis. Both contain a large amount of carrageen, a compound that thickens to a jelly when cooked. In the Caribbean, Irish moss pudding is often flavored with cinnamon and vanilla and topped with milk and rum. In Ireland and Scotland, a similar traditional pudding and milk drink is not only a tasty dessert but also a nourishing remedy for the ill.
Sea Purslane
Like sea beans, sea purslane (Sesuvium portulacastrum) is a flowering succulent. The short plant lives in sandy coastline and salty marshlands throughout much of the world. Native Americans in Florida ate it raw, cooked, or pickled, and in the Philippines it is called atchara when pickled. Scientists in Florida are experimenting with growing sea purslane as a way to absorb excess nutrients from fish aquaculture tanks with the hope to then sell the sea purslane as produce.
FAQs
A sea vegetable is the name given to plant and algae foods that grow in or near the ocean. For thousands of years cuisine from coastal nations around the world have featured and celebrated the salty flavors of seaweeds.
What are examples of sea vegetables? ›
“Sea vegetables” is the culinary term for the different seaweeds used in cooking. They are staple ingredients in Asian cuisines, where dried seaweeds such as wakame, hijiki, kombu, and nori play starring roles in soups, salads, grain dishes, and sushi.
Can you eat sea vegetables raw? ›
All of our sea vegetables can be eaten uncooked, right out of the bag, but some may find them too dry or chewy eaten that way.
What is an Alaskan sea vegetable? ›
Alaska species such as bladderwrack, laver, or sea lettuce provide potent antioxidants, which can prevent diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases. More a supplement than a main dish, toasted seaweed is used in soups, stews, salads, pesto, and seasonings, stir-fried, sprinkled on sh, or eaten as crunchy chips.
How to include sea vegetables in your diet? ›
They can be eaten in their dried form — try using them as wraps or crumbling them onto salads and grain bowls — or they can be rehydrated. To rehydrate, place in water for 5 to 10 minutes until soft. Then, add the softened seaweed to salads or stir-fries.
What is one drawback of using sea vegetables? ›
Overall, seaweed appears to be a nutritious food, but there is one drawback. Some species of seaweed are capable of absorbing large amounts of heavy metals from the surrounding water [6]. This can be especially detrimental if the crop is grown in polluted or contaminated water.
What do sea vegetables do for your body? ›
Containing soluble-fiber, potassium, and flavonoids, eating sea vegetables is associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease and mortality from stroke, in large studies.
What is the healthiest seaweed to eat? ›
One of the most popular edible seaweed species is Nori, thanks to its 'roll' in sushi. Nori has a milder flavour than other seaweeds, but still packs a punch with its vitamin and mineral content. It's a particularly good source of vitamin B12 – a vitamin which is often absent in land plants[iii].
Who shouldn't eat kelp? ›
If you're being treated for thyroid issues, you shouldn't take kelp. You also shouldn't use it if you take certain heart medicines.
Is it OK to eat seaweed from the beach? ›
Is eating wild seaweed safe? There are no known poisonous or toxic seaweeds, however, some are definitely more enjoyable for eating than others. Foraging seaweed is safe as long as you ensure the water quality where you are harvesting is clean.
The Brassicaceae family includes a bunch of vegetables that grow super well in Alaska's often cool weather. Some examples are broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, turnips, daikon radishes, radishes and rutabagas.
Why are Alaska vegetables so big? ›
In part, it's because of Alaska's long hours of daylight. In some areas of the state, vegetables can bask in the sun for 20 hours or more in the summer months (this is also what makes Alaska veggies so sweet). Pair the sunlight with very fertile soil, and you get 3-foot beans and 40-pound beets.
Are all sea plants edible? ›
Most marine macroalgae are nontoxic in normal quantities, but members of the genus Lyngbya are potentially lethal. Typically, poisoning is caused by eating fish which have fed on Lyngbya or on other fish which have done so; this is called ciguatera poisoning.
What are the best sea vegetables? ›
Here we present a list of some of the tastiest and most common sea vegetables.
- Kelp. Kelps are a type of large and leafy brown algae that form dense forests close to shore. ...
- Salicornia.
- Dulse.
- Nori. ...
- Irish Moss.
- Sea Purslane.
Aside from being chock-full of essential nutrients and minerals, sea vegetables are also full of antioxidant compounds and are able to remove heavy metals and toxic pollutants from the body. that protect against free radicals.
What vegetable comes from the ocean? ›
Most Americans are only familiar with a few sea vegetables like nori (found in sushi and seaweed snacks), wakame (the sea vegetable used in seaweed salads), and carrageenan (a common yet controversial food additive used in drinks and prepared foods to enhance texture).
What are super foods from the sea? ›
Looking for something to eat more often? Try Sea Bass, Butterfish, Catfish, Clams, Scallops, Salmon, Crab, Flounder, Oysters, Pollock, Shrimp, Squid, Trout, Tuna (canned), Herring, or Sardines two to three times per week.
What vegetables grow near the ocean? ›
By following the tips above, you can get almost all varieties of cool-season crops—such as arugula, beets, fava beans, carrots, brassicas, leeks, and onions, as well as leafy greens such as lettuce, kale, spinach, collards, mustards, and Swiss chard (particularly productive)—to flourish in Northern California's coastal ...
What is the green veg from the sea? ›
Green Sea Lettuce - The most popular seaweed, sometimes known as green laver, it has a taste almost like sorrel, and is delicious in a salad or soup. Like Kombu, the wide leaf shape is good for wrapping round a portion of fish and gently steaming. You can deep-fry it too for some real crispy seaweed.
