Just as happened with yoga, it was New York that opened my eyes to a multitude of gastronomies from other cultures such as the Asian culture, organic markets, and broadened my horizons in terms of food. A whole new world which I immersed myself in with specialised books and magazines, and which over time I have incorporated into my daily life.
Seaweed is one of the foods that I discovered there and this post is dedicated to it. It has excellent properties that do wonders for our body. These sea vegetables are rich in nutrients, minerals and antioxidants, especially iodine, which means they are a perfect post-exercise food.
Below I explain some of my favourite seaweed, and how I use them in my cooking:
M Y F A V O U R I T E S E A W E E D S
Nori. It is rich in protein and contains virtually no fats. I was recommended to use this one when cooking for children, and I add tiny pieces to my daughters’ meals so that they find their texture more pleasant.
Wakame. It is a great source of calcium, iodine, iron, potassium and A, B and C group vitamins.
Hijiki. This seaweed has a very special flavour, but it is perhaps not for everyone’s palate. For me it is an absolute delicacy. It is rich in iron and contains a lot of the B vitamins.
M E A L S U G G E S T I O N
– Stews: I cut the seaweed into very small pieces and add it to lentil and chickpea stews.
– Seaweed salad (my favourite is hijiki) which I season with a sesame topping and rice vinegar dressing.
– Brown rice. I add the seaweed to the water when cooking rice to give it flavour and to provide the body with minerals. A master in macrobiotics recommended it to me.
– Miso soup. A classic dish that contains seaweed. Seaweed is an essential ingredient in this soup, as I explained in this post.
– Fish soup with seaweed which I make by boiling all the fish bones and heads that I keep; I then add tofu and thin whole-wheat noodles. One of our favourite soups at home.
I’d like to finish this text about algae by sharing a small reflection: the sea provides wonderful food, it is a huge reason to raise awareness about and look after our seas. We are the solution.
V