Seattle Kitchen ingredient of the week: Seaweed

By Jillian Raftery

Seaweed clings to rocks during low tide near Jug Island in Indian Arm near North Vancouver, British Columbia. In the Pacific Northwest, Bull Kelp and Wakame are some of the tastiest edible seaweeds.(AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jonathan Hayward)

Many people love seaweed but sometimes don’t know exactly how to
cook it. Seattle Kitchen contributor Katie O spoke with nutritionist and seaweed aficionado Jennifer
Adler, who teaches a seaweed 101 course, to get all the facts.

“It’s in my genes. I grew up with it: furikake, nori, you know, the
whole thing,” said Katie.

Although some may be skeptical about harvesting their own
seaweed, Jennifer says not to judge seaweed based on the
decomposing flotsam that washes up in Elliott Bay.

“That’s like judging someone’s garden by their compost pile,” said
Jennifer.

While it’s possible to go down to Discovery Park and pick out fresh
seaweed at low tide, Jennifer warns that it’s not the best strategy to get
seaweed from densely populated areas.

“Seaweed binds to things like heavy metals, radiation, and it gets
that out of our bodies but also does the same thing in the ocean,” said
Jennifer.

Harvest fresh seaweed from the shore at low tide, where you can
find seaweed on the rocks, or pick up kelp by kayak. Jennifer loves
Lopez Island for the closest, freshest, cleanest seaweed.

Besides absorbing toxins and heavy metals, seaweed provides lots
of nutritional benefits. The minerals in the ocean are really close to the
minerals we need in our blood. Seaweed provides all of these nutrients
in perfect amounts.

“People in our culture are lacking minerals. That’s something that we
tend to see a lot of deficiency in and seaweed is a great way to get those
minerals in,” said Jennifer.

These nutritional benefits translate into physical benefits as well.
Jennifer describes seaweed as a “beauty food” because it helps clear up
skin problems for some people.

“Beauty is from the inside out. What we’re eating is a direct reflection
in how we look,” said Jennifer.

In the seaweed 101 class, students learn to use seaweed in
everything from oatmeal to brownies. Adding a little dried, crushed
seaweed hardly changes the flavor of dessert dishes, but it adds a
nutritional punch.

“I’ll recommend that they go through their refrigerator door and all
their condiments, they just add crushed seaweed in everything and they
shake it up and the kids have no idea,” said Jennifer.

After harvesting big bunches of local ocean greens, Jennifer says to
dry the seaweed on a tarp or a sheet outside if the weather is warm – it
only takes a few hours and can accomodate large batches. Otherwise,
putting the seaweed on baking sheets in the oven is just as effective.

After drying, seaweed can be kept for a year in an airtight container.

Seaweed can also be boiled, fried, pickled, or eaten raw.

Chef Tom Douglas was only exposed to seaweed for the first time in
1984 when he worked at Cafe Sport. He developed a unique recipe that
has since taken off, featured in grocery stores around the Pacific
Northwest.

“I put on the kasuzuke black cod and, at that time Mutual Fish down
on Rainier Avenue was getting in these kelp and agar-agar salads from
Japan – frozen 2 kilo boxes. And I think I was the first guy in town to
have it,” says Tom.

Thierry, on the other hand, uses fresh cold seaweed to spice up his
salads.

Some restaurants use seaweed in extremely creative ways, using
the delicate and slightly-salty flavor to make a truly unique creation – like
in cream sauces or bouillon.

“You know you put nori in bouillon and it’s so beautiful, I think it’s
such a gorgeous flavor,” says Thierry.

Listen to this week’s Seattle Kitchen Show:

The Seattle
Kitchen can be heard on 97.3 KIRO FM on Saturdays at 8 a.m. and
Sundays at 10 a.m. Available anytime ON DEMAND at MyNorth
west.com.