Seaweeds are the glimmering colourful water plants often found in the ocean, as well as rivers and lakes. Within the 10,000 types of seaweed identified, edible seaweed is a small selection of macroalgae growing along seashores that are nutritious and could be consumed as food by human. These lovely ocean vegetables could be classified into 3 main types, brown (Phaephyta), red (Rhodophyta), and green algae (Chlorophyta) by their colour.
Brown seaweed
Common types of edible brown algae include wakame, Atlantic wakame, kelp, and sea spaghetti. Brown algae is most known for its relatively high iodine content, while Kelp has the highest amount.
Red seaweed
The common red algae that are consumed by human includes Nori (Porphyra umbilicalis), Dulse (Palmaria palmata), and Irish Moss (Chondrus crispus). Nori could be pressed into dried seaweed sheets and eaten as snacks or used in sushi rolls. Dulse is often considered the bacon of the sea due to its umami and smoky flavor.
Green seaweed
A common edible green algae is sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca). Sea lettuce is the salad green of seaweed, it is light in flavour, and have outstanding nutritional benefits.
Alg Seaweed’s trademarked Rainbow Seaweed contains seaweed from the green, brown and red seaweed family. Tasmanian wakame, winged kelp, Atlantic nori, dulse, and sea lettuce are the seaweed species that could be found in the blend, offering your dish essential nutrients, a unique umami flavour, and spectrum of colour. Find out more about the individual seaweed.