Jewels of the Sea: Kelp Forests

Big-Bellied Seahorse (Jon Bryan)
 
Did you know that....?

• Kelp leaves called fronds can grow up to 50 centimetres a day.
• Kelp forms dense canopies up to 35 metres above the seabed.

melo's recipe for fried kombu snack

cook 2 kombu leaves in boiling water (and whatever, add vegies for stock or brown rice)

remove kombu when it is soft enough to cut with the edge of a fork, but not yet squishy.

(if you cook it in beans it will eventually dissolve, like wakame, it just takes 5 times as long)

heat olive oil in a shallow frying pan, cut kombu into squares, and stir fry, turning frequently, with garlic and a splash of tamari, till kombu is krispy. it may spit and bubble, so keep a cover handy to avoid flying fat molecules! a few sesame seeds thrown in for added texture, if you like!

drain on paper towel, eat as is, or as accompaniment for whatever else you're eating...

when you taste how delicious this is, and take on board how nutritious it is too:-

What is so good about eating seaweed nutrition article

Seaweed is found naturally in the salt water oceans and seas. However, in Asia, seaweed cultivation is a major industry. They use a
	process called aquaculture in China, Korea, and Japan to cultivate Nori, Kombu, and Wakame. Some seaweeds are used in maritime countries for industrial purposes and as a fertilizer, but most seaweed is cultivated for food use. Large scale seaweed aquaculture is only found in Asia, where the demand is high for seaweed products and the market continues to grow. This process is low-technology and labor intensive. The whole, attached plants are placed in the water manually. Several attempts have been made to introduce high technology to reduce labor, but none of these are viable at present. China produces 59% of the world production of seaweed, Korea 11%, and Japan 10%. Beneficial nutrients in seaweed Some beneficial nutrients in seaweed include organic (photo-synthetic) vitamins, trace minerals, lipids, plant sterols, amino acids, omega-3 and omega-6, anti-oxidants, growth hormones, polyphenols, and flavenoids. Seaweed also contains Fucoidan, Laminarin, and Alginate compounds. Studies suggest that these are anti-biotic and anti-viral. Land plants do not contain these photochemicals.

more...

What is so good about eating seaweed nutrition article

Professor Mike Guiry of the University of Ireland in Galway has done extensive studies of seaweeds. He promotes seaweed for good general health as well as for some specific issues. Seaweed nutrition and seaweed diets are becoming increasingly more popular, as the world discovers the health hazards of eating too much meat and high calorie, high carbohydrate foods. Seaweed helps people eat a balanced diet and is vegetarian and organic. Some people believe that farming has had drastic soil effects. We derive our minerals and vitamins from the fruits and vegetables that we eat that are grown in the soil. Some people feel that our food can no longer provide all the nutrients we need to protect us from sickness and disease. Many people are turning to the vegetation of the sea: seaweed. People are choosing seaweed diets and seaweed nutrition to have a balanced diet that gives them all the nutrients and trace elements they can't get in other foods. Seaweed is also believed to be a detoxifier and a healing agent, as well as protecting against breast and other cancers. Seaweed has been promoted for weight loss (by stimulating thyroid activity), boosting the immune system, decreasing blood sugar and cholesterol, increasing gastro-intestinal tract function, and for decreasing the symptoms of arthritis joint pains. If you can't or do not want to incorporate fresh seaweed into your diet, you can get seaweed nutrition from seaweed extract and seaweed pills, which contain all the nutritional vitamins and trace elements of fresh seaweed. These products are made from pure seaweed that is harvested by hand and is free of toxins. Be sure to purchase your seaweed extract and seaweed pills from a reputable company that certifies that their products are pure. You can purchase seaweed extract and seaweed pills at health food stores, or visit one of the seaweed websites online. You can also get more seaweed facts and learn about seaweed nutrition and how to have a balanced diet. There are even recipes for seafood salads and other dishes online for seaweed diets. If you can't or do not want to incorporate fresh seaweed into your diet, you can get seaweed nutrition from seaweed extract and seaweed pills, which contain all the nutritional vitamins and trace elements of fresh seaweed. These products are made from pure seaweed that is harvested by hand and is free of toxins. Be sure to purchase your seaweed extract and seaweed pills from a reputable company that certifies that their products are pure. You can purchase seaweed extract and seaweed pills at health food stores, or visit one of the seaweed websites online. You can also get more seaweed facts and learn about seaweed nutrition and how to have a balanced diet. There are even recipes for seafood salads and other dishes online for seaweed diets.

any other ET'ers love to eat seaweed too? if i don't eat it several times a week, i feel the difference.

 it could offer a real benefit to feeding the very hungry, as if you're going to reduce quantity, quality becomes much more important.

~"When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate." Karl Jung~