If there is one thing that I do not regret doing lately on Tiktok is binge-watching people’s recipes of seaweed. It happened to me “incidentally” while spending hours on it (don’t judge, you do it too). The viral salmon rice bowl or people buying onigiri from 7-eleven at 03:00 am got me triggered on that food trend. What is really going on with seaweed? We, Mauritians, are not very responsive to it, because maybe we are just not used to eat seaweed like it is in Asian countries. The whole idea about writing this article is to bring seaweed closer to your home (from farm to fork or sea to sushi). I started digging on it and was even amazed by learning about what we are doing locally.

Seaweed, also known as algae, is usually classified under four groups namely:

• red algae (rhodophyta),
• brown algae (phaeophyta),
• green algae (chlorophyta), and
• blue-green algae (cyanophyta)

You must be familiar with Nori (a red algae) which is primarily used to make sushi. Good for you to know that as per a published paper by Bolton, the recorded seaweed flora in Mauritius is currently about 435 species, a potential industry to contribute to the world’s demand.  Seaweed has a high nutritional value and I categorised it as a sea vegetable. And just like any other terrestrial plant/vegetable, it has numerous nutritional benefits with a mineral content of at least 10 times higher than that of terrestrial vegetables. This makes seaweed a very interesting functional food to study.

Seaweed has been consumed in China, Japan, and Korea for millennia. The consumption of seaweed soup in Korea dates to the Goryeo Dynasty (maybe a thousand years ago) who started the practice of seaweed consumption after they noticed that whales ate seaweed to recover from childbirth. So, consuming seaweed soup on birthdays is a Korean gesture of showing respect to a mother’s unconditional love. Surprisingly, on the Mauritius Research Repository, you will see that the ABC group in collaboration with other partners is developing the seaweed industry on a commercial scale in Mauritius with an intent of also raising awareness on the nutritional value and medicinal qualities of seaweed.

Besides, seaweed is a low-calorie food (for eg. 1 nori sheet is about 5 kcal) that can play a role in body weight control, but also in the prevention of gastrointestinal and cardiovascular diseases. Interestingly, studies have also shown that a seaweed rich diet is associated with a low incidence of tumours due to its rich content of flavonoids and phenolic compounds. In Asia, seaweeds have been eaten for at least 5000 years and these populations have a low incidence of breast cancer.

You will find below other science-backed benefits of seaweed:

It is super rich in vitamins such as A (normal vision), D (bones and teeth), E (healthy scalp/hair growth), B12 (healthy blood and nerve cells) and minerals like magnesium (muscle/nerve function), zinc (fertility and immune system), phosphorus (genetic function), sodium and potassium (normal fluid levels) and iron (for blood).

Fiber- Seaweeds can also provide a large amount of fiber in a person’s diet. Fiber aids in digestion and prevents constipation. In comparison to the fiber content of the foods derived from terrestrial plants, seaweed has similar or even higher levels of dietary fiber.

Improves your cholesterol– Seaweed is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), especially omega-3 fatty acids which play a fundamental role in keeping our heart healthy. These omega 3 fatty acids can be found in fatty fish, like tuna and salmon, and flax seeds. As such for those of you who are vegetarian/vegan, you can consume seaweed for the omega 3 in case you do not like supplements.

Maintain a healthy thyroid function– In 1811, while extracting sodium salts necessary for the manufacture of gunpowder, Courtois, a French chemist, observed an unusual purple vapour coming from burning seaweed ash with sulphuric acid.  Years later they named that vapour Iodine from the Greek word Ioedes (meaning violet). Shortly after that, a Swiss physician, published his observations in a paper stating that giving iodine to his patients was able to decrease the size of lumps near their neck. It was then that the important role of iodine was confirmed for thyroid (the gland near your neck that produces hormones, regulating the body’s metabolism). When your thyroid isn’t working properly, it can impact your whole body and that’s why a good intake of iodine is necessary.

However, since seaweed comes from the sea, it has been accused of accumulating high contents of heavy metals from its environment, thus becoming a health hazard. To be noted that in today’s production, most seaweeds usually have a natural and almost clean origin as they come from marine aquaculture or controlled fisheries. It is important to have a look at your country of origin and the nutritional facts on your packaging before buying your seaweed. As a precautionary measure, try boiling, steaming, and microwave-cooking to reduce the toxic metal risk from seaweeds.

Seaweed is becoming an increasingly popular ingredient in cuisines all over the world and not just in Asian cultures and I’m not saying no to it. I would just advise you, dear Mauritians, to consume seaweeds in small amounts once per week for a start to avoid too much of iodine in your body, as we already consume enough of it in our diet through fish, seafood, eggs, milk, and cheese. Some products are readily available in supermarkets, at Mantra, Gourmet & Co Tribeca Mall and La Maison du Gourmet. Please do share your interesting spots selling seaweed or any recipe that I can try at home.

References:

BOLTON, J.J., BHAGOOLI, R., AND MATTIO, L., 2012. The Mauritian Seaweed Flora: Diversity and Potential for Sustainable Utilisation. UNIVERSITY OF MAURITIUS RESEARCH JOURNAL, 18.

CIAN, R.E., DRAGO, S.R., SANCHEZ DE MEDINA, F., AND MARITINEZ-AUGUSTIN, O., 2015. Proteins and Carbohydrates from Red Seaweeds: Evidence for Beneficial Effects on Gut Function and Microbiota. Marine Drugs, 13 (8), 5358-5383.

FILIPPINI, M., BALDISSEROTTO, A., MENOTTA, S., FEDRIZZI, G., RUBINI, S., GIGLIOTTI, D., VALPIANI, G., BUZZI, R., MANFREDINI, S., AND VERTUANI, S., 2021. Heavy metals and potential risks in edible seaweed on the market in Italy. Chemosphere, Volume 263.

Mauritius Research Repository, 2021. MRIC Pole of Innovation for innovative seaweed-based products. Available from: https://www.repository.mu/

NAYAR, S., AND BOTT, K., 2014. Current Status of Global Cultivated Seaweed Production and Markets. WORLD AQUACULTURE.