Sea Vegetables - The Superfood of the Sea

Sea Vegetables -The Super food of the Sea.

Sea vegetables are a range of marine algae that are available to purchase in health food stores and Asian food stores that can be added to our diet on a daily basis. They are rich in nutrients and minerals and trace elements and are known as the super food of the sea.

Sea vegetables contain more than 10 times the amount of minerals over land vegetables. They contain; calcium, iron, phosphorous, sodium, zinc, folate (which has been shown to reduce colon cancer) and iodine which is available in the human body to be absorbed easily. Also included are vitamins A, C and the B group. Studies have documented that seaweed has components that assist in reducing inflammation, and lowering blood pressure and fight tumour growth.

Sea vegetables are also antinuke. Which means, they bind with radioactive substances in the body and assist the body in releasing them.

Most of the population in the western world consumes sea vegetables daily without realizing it. They are present in ice cream, puddings, bottled sauces, cheeses and even toothpaste. They are used to thicken products and act as stabilizers.They offer strong alkalinity required to maintain good health. They assist with helping water metabolism and cleansing lymph fluid.

Eaten regularly in Asian diets, they add a much need source of additional nutrition lacking in many diets in the West. They are easy to prepare and tasty, although some are stronger in flavor with fishy flavors.


When and How to use sea vegetables:
Regular Use: (daily or often)
Agar-agar; Vegetarian Alternative to gelatine. These little flakes are added to liquid to make gels, like puddings and aspics.
Dulse; A reddish purple sea vegetables, can be used in soups, side dishes and salads.
Kelp Powder: Often used as a condiment and sprinkled on foods.
Korengo: A New Zealand native sea algae. Add to soups, side dishes and casseroles style meals.
Spiralina: An algae powder used as a whole food supplement.
Toasted Nori Sheets; can be eaten in sheets used in a roll as sushi or cooked into a condiment. Nori sheets should be toasted over an open flame for a few minutes (they turn from dark to green).
Wakame; A long thin sea vegetable. Can be used in soups, pressed into pressed salads, baked or ground into a condiment.
Kombu; Japanese Kelp. It comes in thick wide straps. It is then soaked and used in bean dishes to make them more digestible and to add minerals. It can be added to grains, instead of salt and in broth for noodles and nabe dishes.

Wakame and Kombu are used regularly in soups, bean and vegetable dishes.
They may be eaten by themselves, sprinkled over grains, or used to make nori condiment or vegetable sushi.
Occasional Use (small two-thirds cup servings, including the vegetables, two or three times per week).

Arame; Thin, dark strands, it is usually sautéed with vegetables. (no soaking required)

Hiziki; the strongest sea vegetable, it comes in long or short wiry “strings” and has the most fishy flavour. It is best sautéed with other vegetables. It needs to be soaked before cooking it.

Note; Hiziki has a stronger flavour than Arame. For Westerners who are not accustomed to sea vegetables, it might be easier to start with Arame, cooked with sweet vegetables. The taste for sea vegetables develops over time and more complex recipes or combination may be incorporated.
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