Sea Vegetables

[Coatue]

Anybody know the best sea vegetables to eat? Where to buy them? How to prepare them? thanks

[bharminder]

I just get sometimes the ones at the health food store like dulse, nori wraps, kelp, or kombu.

I wash them off because they have lots of salt coated on the outside.



One recipe is to take romaine leafs, and put strips of dulse, tomato slices, and avocado on it and eat it like a pizza.

[eveheart]

I use wakame, which I buy under the Korean name of miyeok. It comes dried, and only needs to be soaked and eaten.

Another good source is "wildcrafted" sea vegetables, sold locally by coastal sea vegetable harvesters who claim clean waters and pesticide-free drying practices. I can buy kombu (kelp) and dulse from the California coast.

I've heard that some Chinese processors spray pesticides and fly-repellent on their drying sea vegetables, so I avoid Chinese brands. Hijiki is one type that I've heard is usually contaminated in this manner.

Laver is what they use to make nori sheets, which are highly seasoned. To me, the sheets taste more like potato chips than sea vegetable, so I don't eat them. You can also buy dried laver - it's so tasteless that you'll realize why they season it for nori sheets!