Sea Vegetables: Don't Call 'Em Weeds

Plants are considered weeds when they are growing in an area where they are not desirable. There is a group of plants that we commonly call seaweeds but this term doesn't make sense and it denies the value of these plants in our diets. Like land vegetables, sea vegetables are nutritious additions to our diet. They provide many minerals (most notably iron), a good supply of protein and fiber as well as Vitamins A, B6 and C.

Botanically, sea vegetables are algae. Algae get divided into two categories, the macroalgae (meaning large algae) and microalgae (small algae). Spirulina, which is sold in powdered form as a nutritional supplement, is a common microalga.

We may not be aware of it but most of us eat seaweed on a daily basis. Agars, alginates, carrageenans are sea vegetable extracts that are used as thickeners and stabilizers in a dizzying number of processed foods. They are used in cakes and icings, candies, sauces and gravies, salad dressings, cheeses, chocolate milk, puddings, low-sugar jams and jellies, whipped toppings and yogurt to name a few. They are also used in products like shampoos, toothpastes, lotions, adhesives and polishes.

There are many cultures that use sea vegetables as a food source, and not just as a hidden ingredient. Sea vegetables are most often associated with Japanese cuisine, but are also common ingredients in both Korean and Chinese cookery. Sea vegetables are not confined to these cuisines however. They are harvested off the coasts of almost every continent, and are traditional foods in Wales, Scotland and Ireland, Western Europe, Iceland, Alaska and Chile among others.

The nomenclature of sea vegetables can be quite confusing. Some species of sea vegetables grow in 3 or 4 different regions of the world. In each habitat they take on slightly different characteristics. For the seaweeds listed below, I have combined species that are similar enough that they are used in the same ways.

Kombu (Japan) Kelp (US)

Kombu is high in protein and the vitamins A and C. It was traditionally used as a flavor enhancer in Japan. The vegetable is used to make a broth called dashi, which is added to many Japanese preparations. Dashi is made by boiling Kombu in water until the water has taken on its flavor. Kombu's ability to enhance flavor lead to the creation of MSG. This artificial flavor enhancer was made from salt and glutamate (an ingredient in Kombu). Kelp is more tender and thinner than Kombu, and can be used to make stocks or soaked and then added to stir-fries.

Wakame (Japan) Alaria (US) Badderlocks (Scotland) Tangle (Ireland)

These sea vegetables are high in protein and the vitamins B6 and K. They have thin tender leaves, which are nice in both soups and salads. Wakame can be soaked and eaten raw or slightly blanched before being added to a dish. Alaria needs to be cooked; blanch it for 5-10 minutes before adding it to a dish.

Hijiki (Japan)

This sea vegetable is also high in protein. It needs to be soaked for 30 minutes before cooking. It can be cooked in plain water or in a broth made of water and apple juice. Often served as a cold salad or side dish. Cooked hijiki is sautéed with tofu, onions and carrots and seasoned with soy sauce and sesame seeds.

Nori (Japan) Porphyra (US) Laver (Britain and Iceland)

Nori does not need to be cooked. In Japan it is wrapped around rice rolls or sushi, it is also shredded and used as garnish on many dishes. In Britain, laver is rinsed and simmered in water, and cooked to a jelly and served on toast or added to oats, formed into cakes and fried in bacon fat. Laver can be dry roasted and then crumbled onto stews, grains and soups.

Dulse (Canada & Scotland) Dillisk (Ireland)

Dulse can be eaten raw, right out of the bag as a chewy snack. It also tastes great when toasted in the oven to make it crunchy. It has long been a traditional addition to mashed potatoes in Ireland in a dish called champ. Make mashed potatoes as you normally would, heating the chopped dulse in the milk before adding it into the potatoes.

Sea Lettuce (US)

Served as salad in both east Asia and Chile. Best eaten raw.

If you are unfamiliar with using sea vegetables you may want to purchase them at a health food store as opposed to an Asian grocery store. The packages at health food stores generally have directions on using the sea vegetables.

The following recipes have been provided by Gregor Rohlsson, currently a private chef in San Francisco. His restaurant experience includes a position as Chef de Cuisine at the Omni Hotel working with Elka Gilmore. Prior to that he spent 15 years cooking in restaurants in Atlanta, New York and San Francisco. He created the following recipes.

Wakame, Avocado, Tomato and Sprout Salad
Serves 2

Ingredients
1 ripe avocado
1/4 cup lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium heirloom tomato, quartered
2 Tbsp wakame seaweed, soaked in cold water for 10 minutes
1/2 cup sprouts (daikon, onion, spicy sprout mix etc)
2 Tbsp tahini

Method
Mash the avocado with the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Core the tomato and cut it into wedges. Place the avocado, tomato and wakame on a plate and drizzle with tahini, garnish with the sprouts.

Chilled Soba Noodles with Nori and Mustard Soy Dressing
Serves 4

Ingredients
1/2 lb buckwheat soba noodles
1Tbsp Sesame oil
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
2 sheets nori
1 block BBQ tofu
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
Mustard-Soy dressing (see recipe below)

Method
Cook the noodles in salted water. When finished, strain, toss with sesame oil and set aside. Blanch the broccoli and cool in an ice bath and set aside. Using scissors, cut the nori into long 2 inch strips and then very thinly crossways and set aside.

Cut the block of tofu into long thin rectangles. To serve the salad: Mix the soba, broccoli and tofu with the dressing to taste. Place in serving platter and top with the shreds on nori and sesame seeds.

Mustard-Soy Dressing

Ingredients
2 Tbsp Japanese mustard powder
2 shallots, diced
3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 oz mirin
2 oz soy sauce
10 oz rice wine vinegar
6 oz grapeseed oil
2 oz sesame oil

Method
Place the mustard powder in a small bowl and add enough cold water to make a thick paste (like toothpaste) and set aside. Place the shallot, mustard, mirin and soy sauce in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the rice wine vinegar and mustard paste and blend until mixed. Slowly add in the grapeseed and sesame oils. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper

Wakame with Braised Bamboo Shoots
Serves 6 as a side dish, or first course.

Ingredients
3 large bamboo shoots (buy vacuum packed)
3 cups dashi (see recipe below)
1/3 cup sake
1/3 cup mirin (rice wine)
1/3 cup light shoyu (or soy sauce)
2 tsp sea salt
10 oz dried wakame (soaked in cold water for 10 minutes)

Method
Slice the bamboo shoots lengthwise into 6 wedges and place in heavy bottomed saucepan with the dashi and seasonings. Bring to boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 1 hour.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the wakame for 1 minute, strain and place in serving bowl. Place the bamboo shoots on top with a couple of tablespoons of the cooking liquid and serve.

Glazed Taro Root Patties with Nori
Makes 8-10 2 ounce taro root patties.

Ingredients
1/3 cup dashi (see recipe below)
3-1/2 tsp mirin
3-1/2 tsp shoyu
1 pound taro root, peeled and cut into large cubes
4 tsp rice vinegar
1 bunch scallion, chopped very finely
3 oz potato starch
1 oz rice flour
pinch of sea salt and white pepper
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 nori sheets cut into thin strips (1/4 inch by 1 inch)

Method
Combine the dashi, mirin and soy sauce and set aside.

Place the cubed taro in water to cover with the rice vinegar and simmer for 30 minutes. Drain and puree in a food mill. Place the puree in a bowl and add the potato starch and rice flour. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mold into flat patties approximately 2 oz each. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan and cook the patties until they are golden brown.. Lower the heat and add the soy sauce mixture to the pan and cook until the sauce thickens slightly. Place the patties on a serving tray, pour the sauce over and garnish with the shredded nori.

Dashi

Ingredients
4 inch piece of kombu
5 cups cold water
1/2 cup bonito flakes (optional)
1-1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp shoyu (or soy sauce)

Method
Place the kombu and water into a pot and bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the kombu and add the bonito flakes and let stand for 2 minutes. Strain out the bonito flakes, add the remaining ingredients. Taste and adjust the seasonings. This broth has a very light sea flavor.