Not for Fish Only

Seaweed is attractive not only to fish; in Japan some 200,000 tons of marine algae is served annually as food on the dinner table. “Sea vegetables are low-​caloric, highly nutritious foods that help promote health and longevity,” says the book Vegetables From the Sea, by Japanese authors Seibin and Teruko Arasaki. Incidentally, the writers’ choice of the term “sea vegetables” rather than “seaweeds” is a clear indication of their high regard for these plants. And why not? In terms of protein, minerals, and vitamins, there are few other foods that can compare with these ‘vegetables from the sea.’

Consider, for example, one of the favorites, nori. When processed, this seaweed looks like sheets of dry, greenish-​black paper and is prized for its aroma. Some 8,500 million sheets of it are consumed each year, which works out to about 70 letter-​pad-​sized sheets per person. What is so remarkable about nori? From 35 to 40 percent of it, by dry weight, is good protein that is easily digested. It is also a storehouse of vitamins. Compared to spinach, nori has 8 times more vitamin A, 9 times more vitamin B₁, 15 times more vitamin B₂, and 1.5 times more vitamin C. In addition, it is one of the few foods that is rich in vitamin B₁₂, and it contains six other types of B vitamins.

Seaweeds are richer in minerals than almost any other food. It is calculated that from 7 to 38 percent of the seaweed’s dry weight is made up of “the minerals required by human beings, including calcium, sodium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, iodine, iron, and zinc.” For instance, wakame, another favorite, contains 13 times more calcium than milk does. Anemia sufferers will be interested to know that the iron content of edible marine algae is from two to more than ten times that of egg yolks or spinach. And the iodine in seaweeds may be the reason why the thyroid disease goiter is rare among the Japanese.

There are still other benefits. The fibers of marine plants are softer than those of land vegetables. So they are good for intestinal regulation. Japanese scientists have recognized laminin, an agent that prevents high blood pressure, in seaweeds. They are also investigating certain ingredients in seaweeds that are found to lower blood cholesterol and lipids in animal tests.

Virtues Unsung

Even if you think you will never be able to stomach seaweed, every time you gulp down a spoonful of ice cream or yogurt or pour on your favorite syrup or savor your favorite cheese, you may well be doing just that.

[Box on page 27]

Delicious Ways to Sample Seaweeds

Various kinds of seaweeds may be purchased from Japanese, Korean, or Chinese grocery stores, health-​food shops, or even some of the larger grocery markets. They usually come in packages of dried sheets. Some stores may sell them marinated in soy sauce. The most common varieties are wakame, nori, and kombu.

The easiest way to try wakame is to add them to your salad or soup. Simply soak them in water, rinse off the salt, cut them in small pieces, and toss them in. Marinated seaweed may be added to steamed rice or other dishes.

The very popular sushi is simply rice wrapped in nori, with the addition of cucumber, egg, or different seafoods​—tuna, salmon, shrimp, lobster, and so on. If you find the raw fish a little too much, try rolling cheese or cucumber sticks in seasoned sheets of nori.

Children will enjoy the crispy, deep-​fried kombu. Wipe off the salt, and dip it in oil at medium temperature for a second or two, or simply toast small pieces of it until they become crispy.

[Pictures on page 26]

Above: Temaki (hand rolled) sushi with sea urchin in the center

Left: Nori, or laver, is used abundantly in sushi, a favorite dish in Japan