Seaweeds: Edible, Available, and Sustainable

306 Pages·2013·17.39 MB·English

by  Ole G. Mouritsen

Tang & Alger
b
Until recently, most of us thought of seaweeds
as nothing but a nuisance, clinging to our legs
as we swim in the ocean and stinking up the
beach as they rot in the sun. With the ever-
growing popularity of sushi restaurants across
the globe, however, seaweeds are increasingly
finding their way onto our plates. And even
as we dine with delight on maki, miso soup,
and seaweed salads, very few of us have any
idea of the nutritional value of seaweeds. Here
celebrated scientist Ole G. Mouritsen, draw-
ing on his fascination with, and enthusiasm
for, Japanese cuisine, champions seaweeds as
a staple food while simultaneously explaining
their biology, ecology, cultural history, and
gastronomy.
Mouritsen takes readers on a comprehensive
tour of seaweeds, describing what seaweeds
actually are— marine algae, not plants—and
how people of different cultures have utilized
them since prehistoric times for a whole array
of purposes—as food and fodder, for the pro-
duction of salt, in medicine and cosmetics, as
fertilizer, in construction, and for a number of
industrial end uses, to name just a few. He de-
scribes the vast abundance of minerals, trace
elements, proteins, vitamins, dietary fiber, and
precious polyunsaturated fatty acids found in
seaweeds, and provides instructions and reci-
pes on how to prepare a variety of dishes that
incorporate raw and processed seaweeds.
Approaching the subject from both a gas-
tronomic and a scientific point of view,
Mouritsen sets out to examine the past and
present uses of this sustainable resource, keep-
ing in mind how it could be exploited in the
future. Because seaweeds can be cultivated in
large quantities in the ocean in highly sustain-
able ways, they are ideal for battling hunger
and obesity alike.
With hundreds of superb illustrations de-
picting the wealth of species, colors, and
shapes of these marine algae, Seaweeds: Edible,
Available, and Sustainable makes a strong case
for granting these ‘vegetables from the sea’ a
prominent place in our kitchens.
•
Ole G. Mouritsen is a scientist and professor
of biophysics with interests in research com-
munication and the science of cooking.
Jonas Drotner Mouritsen is a graphic designer
and owner of the design company Chroma-
scope.
Mariela Johansen has Danish roots, lives in
Canada, and holds an MA in humanities with c
a special interest in ancient Greece.
Seaweeds
edible, available
& sustainable

Ole G. Mouritsen
Seaweeds
edible, available
& sustainable
Photography, layout & design
Jonas Drotner Mouritsen
Translation & adaptation to English
Mariela Johansen
The University of Chicago Press
Chicago and London
OLE G. MOURITSEN is professor of biophysics with interests in research communication and the science
of cooking.
Cover illustration: Jeff Foot, Macrocystis pyrifera, Catalina Island, California
The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 60637
The University of Chicago Press, Ltd., London
© 2013 by Ole G. Mouritsen
All rights reserved. Published 2013.
Printed in Hong Kong
Based on a translation and modification for an international audience of the Danish edition Tang. Grøntsager
fra havet, Nyt Nordisk Forlag Arnold Busck, Copenhagen, 2009, published with the support of Albani
Fonden, Nordea Danmark-fonden, Konsul George Jorck og Hustru Emma Jorcks Fond, Møllerens Fond,
Tuborgfondet, and Villum Kann Rasmussen Fonden.
www.seaweedbook.net
22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13    1 2 3 4 5
ISBN-13: 978-0-226-04436-1 (cloth)
ISBN-13: 978-0-226-04453-8 (e-book)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Mouritsen, Ole G., author.
[Tang. English]
Seaweeds : edible, available, and sustainable / Ole G. Mouritsen; photography, layout, and
graphic design by Jonas Drotner Mouritsen; translation and adaptation by Mariela Johansen.

pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-226-04436-1 (cloth : alkaline paper) — ISBN 978-0-226-04453-8 (e-book) 1. Marine algae. 2.
Marine algae as food. I. Mouritsen, Jonas Drotner. II. Johansen, Mariela, translator. III. Title.
QK570.2.M6813 2013
579.8’177—dc23
2012040240
This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (Permanence of Paper).
Table of Contents
Preface v Nori—a sought-after Porphyra product 74
Wakame—neither too tough nor too
delicate 84
Seaweeds are marine algae
Winged kelp—almost as good as wakame 84
What are seaweeds and marine Bladder wrack—abundant everywhere 85
algae and where do we find them? 2 Sea palm—a rare delicacy 88
At the interface between land and sea 2 Arame—totally mild and sweet 88
Seaweeds of all sizes, growing under all Hijiki—a bit special and a little poisonous 89
conditions 3 Dulse—the robust red alga 90
Seaweeds come in many colors 4 Edible green algae 92
Agar—completely without taste 93
Seaweeds throughout the ages 5 Spirulina—edible blue-green microalgae
Seaweeds and human evolution 5 that pack a punch 93
Seaweeds in a historical perspective 6
Seaweeds in Europe 10 The taste of seaweeds 95
Seaweeds in the Nordic countries 12 Taste and texture 95
Seaweeds and umami 96
The biology of algae 21 Smoke and sulphur 98
Microalgae and macroalgae 21
The structure of macroalgae 22 Seaweeds as salt 98
The life history and reproductive If you have no salt, you have nothing 98
patterns of macroalgae 23 Seaweed ash salt and smoked salt 99
Photosynthesis and seaweed growth 25
Robust marine survivors 34 Seaweeds, wellness, and
Seaweeds as ecological dynamos 37 nutrition 101
Folk traditions and the health movement 101
Seaweeds in the wild and in What have we already learned? 101
aquaculture 38 Seaweeds and calories 104
Edible seaweeds and poisonous algae 38 Iodine and metabolism 105
Marine algae in integrated aquaculture 44 Seaweeds and cancer 108
The domestication of marine species 44 Are there potentially hazardous
Seaweed cultivation in the Western world 45 compounds in seaweeds? 109
Seaweed cultivation in Asia 50 How much seaweed should one eat? 112
Nori—an aquaculture success story 51
Seaweeds in the kitchen
The chemical composition of
seaweeds 52 Seaweeds in the home kitchen 118
A symphony of good things 52 Seaweeds are eaten all over the world 118
Carbohydrate extracts—alginate, Seaweed recipes 119
carrageenan, and agar 59 Storage of seaweeds 120
Fat content—less is more 59
Iodine—a key element 60 Seaweeds as seasonings 122
Gases and the smell of seaweeds Seaweeds in the spice rack 122
and the sea 61 Furikake—a Japanese condiment with
seaweeds 122
Seasoning with seaweeds 123
Seaweeds & human nutrition
Edible marine algae 68 Seaweeds in soups 124
Nearly all seaweeds are edible 68 Japanese soups and dashi 124
Kelp and konbu—not at all tough 69 Clear soups—suimono 126
Giant kelp 70 Miso soup 127
Laver—the delicate red alga 72 St. Patrick’s cabbage soup 127
Nereo soup 128 Seaweeds in desserts and cakes 171
Dillisk soup—a simple soup with dulse 128 Seaweeds with fresh fruit 171
Jerusalem artichoke soup with seaweeds Seaweeds as gelling agents in desserts 171
and smoked sea salt 129 Blancmange—a very basic pudding 172
Green pea soup with scallops and seaweeds 130 Pudding with carrageen 173
Konbu consommé with shiitake 131 Yōkan—Japanese dessert jelly 173
Lemon cake with sea lettuce 174
Seaweeds in salads and sauces 134 Ice cream with simmered kelp 175
Kaiso-salad 134
Salad dressing with miso and sea lettuce 135 Seaweeds in drinks 176
Purslane salad with seaweeds 136 Seaweed tea 176
Marinated winged kelp 136 Seaweeds in wine, beer, and spirits 177
Cucumber salad with seaweeds 137 Spirulina smoothie 178
Wakame salad with tofu 138 Seaweed wellness drinks 178
Simmered hijiki 138
Quinoa salad with dulse 140 Seaweeds in snacks 180
Salads and sauces with sea spaghetti 140 Snacks 180
Seaweeds in dressings 142 Chips 180
Guacamole with dried seaweeds 143 Rice cakes with nori 182
Avocado salad with bladder wrack 143 Seaweeds and chocolate 183
Herring roe on kelp 184
Seaweeds in omelettes and in fish
and vegetable dishes 144 Seaweeds in gastronomy 185
Omelette with three types of seaweeds 144 Seaweed innovations and haute cuisine 185
Oven-baked salmon with dulse 144 New raw materials open new
Tuna and seaweed salad 145 gastronomic pathways 185
Carpaccio with bladder wrack 146 Fun and games in the kitchen —
Seafood salad—now with seaweeds, too 146 when ‘play’ becomes more serious 186
Cavi-art 147 Taking home cooking to new levels 186
Mashed potato with dulse 147 Veal tartare with Harry’s crème and dulse 188
Laverbread—a traditional Welsh dish 148 Fresh shrimp with pickled sea lettuce
Green beans with kelp 149 and beach herbs 190
Green asparagus with seaweeds 149 Ice cream with dulse 192
Steamed zucchini with seaweeds 154 White onion and cod in green pepper
Green lentils with wakame 156 and kelp broth 194
Vegetable ‘avocado foie’ with dulse and
Seaweeds and sushi 157 coriander juice 196
Onigiri—seaweeds on the go 157
Rolled sushi with nori: maki-zushi 158
Seaweeds for industrial uses
Hand-rolled sushi with nori: temaki-zushi 161
Battleship sushi with nori: gunkan-zushi 162 Seaweeds as additives and
Chirashi-zushi with strips of nori 163 stabilizers 204
Omelette with nori 163 Seaweeds turned into additives 204
Gelling and hydrogels 204
Seaweeds in bread, pasta, and Alginates 204
savory tarts 164 Carrageenans 208
Rye bread with seaweeds 165 Agar 212
Buns and crispbread with seaweeds 166
Quiche with seaweeds 168 Seaweeds for technical uses 212
Seaweed pesto on bread and crackers 169 Gunpowder, soda, and early glass making 212
Pizza with seaweeds 169 Seaweeds for tools and textiles 213
Algae for the production of energy 213
Seaweeds and cheese 169 Food or fuel? 216
ii
Seaweeds in medicine, Vitamins 244
health care, and cosmetics 216 Brown algae: Fatty-acid composition 245
Seaweeds in medicine 216 Red algae, green algae, and Spirulina:
Biologically active ingredients 218 Fatty-acid composition 246
Seaweeds in health care and cosmetics 220 Polysaccharides in seaweeds—alginates,
carrageenans, and agars 247
Seaweeds as animal fodder and
fertilizer 221 Names of the algae, seaweeds,
Seaweeds for domestic animals 221 and marine plants in the book 250
Seaweeds as fertilizer 222 Common English names 250
Brown macroalgae (Phaeophyceae) 251
Epilogue: Seaweeds—edible, Red macroalgae (Rhodophyta) 251
available, and sustainable Green macroalgae (Chlorophyta) 251
for the future 230 Blue-green microalgae (cyanobacteria) 251
Eukaryotic microalgae 251
Marine plants 251
Technical and scientific details
Evolutionary history and the Bibliography 252
life cycle of seaweeds 234 Seaweeds in cooking 252
Evolution 234 Seaweeds and algae 252
The life cycle of seaweeds 236 Scientific literature 253
The life cycle of Porphyra 237
Seaweeds on the web 256
The nutritional content of
seaweeds 240 Figure credits 256
Iodine and minerals 241
Trace elements 242 Glossary 258
Energy content, fats, proteins,
carbohydrates, and fiber 243 Index 272
•
Essays on seaweeds
Was there a seaweed route to South America? 9
Collecting seaweeds in Victorian England 13
Seaweeds in an Icelandic saga 18
Living seaweeds in a Japanese museum 28
Dancing algae—the story of Hana-Tsunomata 40
Harvesting seaweeds on the edge of the Pacific 46
Proteins from the ocean 56
Revival of a proud tradition 64
At sea and in the pub with Japanese nori fishers 76
Seaweeds—the hidden treasures in the Natural History Museum in London 113
Seaweeds—a gift from the sea to the first inhabitants of the Pacific Northwest 132
Welsh caviar—laverbread 150
Sea vegetables from Maine 198
The alginate industry—a Norwegian success story 206
The production of carrageenans—another seaweed success story 210
“The seaweeds have to be there, if the children return home” 225
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