How can you get more sea vegetables into your diet?
Sea veggies are highly versatile foods, which can be easily incorporated into many dishes such as soups, salads, stir-fries and desserts. Top-quality sea vegetables are grown wild and harvested from clean coastal areas. A second option is to use the high-quality brands found in health food stores. You can also find commercially harvested seaweeds in Asian markets. Here are some examples.
Arame: soak 5 minutes, simmer 5-10 minutes. With its sweet, mild taste, it is delicious sauteed alone or with land vegetables. Also good added cold to salad, rice, or freshly chopped veggies with a vinaigrette dressing.
Dulse: does not require cooking. Try using dulse flakes as a condiment. Easily sprinkled on top of soups, salads and veggies. It’s especially great on potatoes and corn dishes. Slightly salty and smoky in flavor, it is a nutritious alternative to salt for those on low or no salt diets.
Hijiki: rinse, then soak 20 minutes, rinse again; or can be simmered for 30 minutes to 1 hour; expands over 4 times when soaked. One of the most mineral rich of all sea vegetables, high calcium and protein, it tastes great flavored with toasted sesame oil, cider vinegar and tamari. Add to noodle dishes or stir-fry with tofu, carrots and onions.
Kelp: use as a salt substitute or condiment in powder form. High in calcium and iodine, it acts as a natural tenderizer when added to beans and stews.
Kombu: best used in slow-cooking soups, beans and stews, to both flavor and tenderize. Add a whole piece about 2 to 4 inches long, remove once tender, chop up and place back in the dish. Can become bitter if rapidly boiled for any length of time.
Wakame: soak 5 minutes before using, then rinse; or add directly to soups without soaking. This is the seaweed most often added to miso soup. With its sweet flavor, it also makes a great cold salad.