Seaweed, vegetables of the sea?

In France, in 2019, 22 species of macroalgae were listed and authorised as food seaweed. The seaweeds most used in cooking are, for red seaweed, dulse, nori and pioka; for green seaweed, sea lettuce and ao-nori; and for brown seaweed, sea spaghetti, royal kombu, wakame and Laminaria digitata, which cannot be eaten raw because of its high iodine content.

Growing in a marine environment rich in mineral elements, seaweeds have little-known nutritional qualities. Like vegetables, they are rich in fibre and provide minerals (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, iodine, zinc, selenium), vitamins (A, B, C, E) as well as antioxidant compounds. They could thus play a role in preventing certain diseases and stimulating the immune system.

Long used for their gelling properties, seaweeds can also serve as seasonings or vegetables. They are sold dried, canned or fresh, preserved in salt. It is also possible to learn how to gather them on the foreshore.

There are many recipes for cooking seaweed. The simplest way to start eating it is to include it in everyday cooking, as a seasoning!