Algae can be useful in many different situations. For example, algae are used as food for humans and livestock, and are also found in various health products and cosmetics. Seaweed is primarily consumed in Southeast Asia, particularly China, Japan, and Korea, but outside of that area, it’s growing in popularity every year.
If you want to include more seaweed in your diet, you can try red seaweed of the genus Porphyra, for example. In Asian cuisine, this seaweed is commonly referred to as nori. It is not usually eaten fresh; it is instead harvested, dried and pressed into thin sheets. These leaves are then used in all sorts of dishes, from sushi and soups to sauces and condiments. The two most commonly used species of red algae are Porphyra yezoensis and Porphyra tenera.
Do you think you’ve never eaten seaweed? I think you have! The next time you gulp down ice cream or pour syrup over your dessert, you might be eating brown algae. Alginic acid, a popular stabilizer for emulsions and suspensions, is extracted from brown algae. In addition to the food industry, it is also valued by paint manufacturers.
Brown algae is not the only type of algae that can be used to stabilize food. Red seaweed is used to make the products agar and carrageenan, which work wonders when you need to stabilize food products like puddings and canned meats. Agar is also used by scientists who need to grow bacteria, fungi and cell structures on a nutritious gel, while carrageenan is a popular additive to shampoos.
Would you like to try some delicious seaweed dishes in your own kitchen? Here is a recipe for seaweed soup.
Ingredients:
o 1 pound ground beef
o 2 liters of water
o 1 cube of chicken broth
o 1 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts
o 3 sheets of nori (dried seaweed)
or 1 egg
o Salt to taste
o 4 spring onions
o 3/4 teaspoon sesame oil
What to do:
1.) Cook the ground beef over medium-high heat until browned. Use a large saucepan as you will be adding more ingredients.
2.) Pour off excess fat.
3.) Add water and bring to the boil.
4.) Reduce the heat to medium again and let the dish simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes.
5.) Stir in the bouillon cube, making sure it dissolves completely.
6.) Add chestnuts.
7. Break the nori into pieces and add to the pot.
8.) Beat the egg in a separate bowl.
9.) Stir in the egg.
10.) Season with salt.
11.) Chop the spring onions.
12.) Remove the pot from the heat before adding the onions.
13.) Stir in sesame oil.
14. Bon appetit!
Thanks to William Berg
