EAT LIKE A MERMAID Getting

Eat Like a Mermaid

Registered dietitian Sharon Palmer explains why seaweed is the leafy green of the moment.

A S E A RT H ’ S population skyrockets and its supply of arable land dwindles, nutritionists and sustainability experts alike are casting a hopeful eye toward the ocean, home to an abundance of crops. Growing seaweed for food requires neither land nor irrigation nor chemicals. Sea veggies are packed with nutrients, and research suggests that including them in our diet may help reduce the risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers, including colon and breast.

While island and coastal cultures like those in Japan, Ireland, and Scotland have been reaping seaweed’s health benefits for centuries, it isn’t a very familiar food in the U.S. outside of sushi restaurants. That’s starting to change, though, as a growing number of aquatic farmers are selling seaweed for cooking and snacking. You can find many brands (Eden Foods, Emerald Cove) in the driedgoods section of natural foods stores, at Asian groceries, and online.

Consider this a cheat sheet to some of the tastiest vegetables in the sea.

Nori

Nori is the Japanese word for the seaweed that’s processed into sheets and used to make sushi. While most commercially available nori does indeed come from Japan, it’s also produced in Korea and China. In the wild, the reddish leafy bunches (nori turns green when dried) typically grow on rocks in coastal waters.

Flat but packed, nori has significant levels of vitamins A and C, iron, iodine, and folate, plus protein and fiber (about one gram of each per sheet). Kombu contains iron, calcium, fiber, antioxidants, and iodine. This variety is a good source of potassium, iron, iodine, and vitamin B6, and also has protein and fiber. You’ll get folate, fiber, and vitamins A, C, E, and K, as well as the minerals manganese, magnesium, copper, and calcium. The powder is rich in protein, iron, copper, beta-carotene, and antioxidants.

Kombu

A type of kelp, kombu is found in underwater forests. The kind labeled kombu on packaging is traditionally harvested in Japan, but kelp also grows elsewhere, including in China, Korea, Scandinavia, Scotland, Canada, and the United States. The thick strands are cut into long strips and dried in the sun.

Nori has a slightly saline flavor with roasted, nutty notes. Wrap it around the obvious, sushigrade fish and rice, or, more creatively, scrambled eggs or canned tuna. Crisp it up by using tongs to hold it over medium-high heat for a few seconds, then sprinkle pieces over grain dishes, soups, noodles, or roasted tofu. Or just eat it by the sheet as a chip substitute. Thick, meaty, and umamipacked, kombu can bring a savory richness to food, especially vegetable and bean dishes. Dice it, toast it, and toss it in stir-fries and soups. You can also pickle kombu to make a delicious addition to fish and rice.

Dulse

The long, leathery, burgundycolored fronds of this algae are commonly harvested from sea boulders in Maine and Eastern Canada, as well as in Ireland, Scotland, and Spain. You can buy it in many forms: powder, flakes, and dried, chewy leaves.

Wakame

This dark green, flat-leaf seaweed is native to cooler coastal waters in Japan, Korea, and China and has also been cultivated in New Zealand and Brittany, France.

Raw dulse tastes like a plant, but pan-frying it in olive oil brings out a deeply smoky flavor reminiscent of bacon (also like bacon, it’s salty). Fried leaves can be served in a vegetarian BLT, or chopped and added to salads, eggs, baked potatoes, or bread batter. The powder adds flavor to popcorn, and dried chips are a salty cocktail-hour snack. Mildly sweet, silky strips of wakame add texture and taste to miso soup or a Japanese seaweed salad. For a hint of flavor and a pop of color, you can also add fresh or dried strips to soba noodle salads, creamy squash or chicken soup, and potato stew.

Spirulina

Although spirulina is referred to as blue-green algae, it’s actually a type of harmless bacteria. It flourishes in warm climates and alkaline lakes, ponds, and rivers such as those in Africa, Mexico, the U.S., and India. Spirulina is commonly sold in powder form, in colors ranging from deep green to teal.

Spirulina has a slightly grassy taste and adds a brilliant blue hue to smoothies (mix with blueberries, almond butter, and carrots), homemade energy bars, puddings, and sorbets. Instagrammers swoon over the fantastic color; nutritionists love the health perks.