If you thought vegetables only grew in soil on land, you're mistaken. Simple to cook and easy to serve in your favorite dishes, sea vegetables are plentiful, full of flavor and have a gamut of health benefits. Nutritionists and chefs around the world consider sea vegetables as pearls of the vegetable family as they add depth to just about anything in your cooking repertoire.
Sea vegetables are neither plant nor animals but classified in a group known as ‘algae’. They commonly grow on coral reefs or in rocky landscapes and can be found in marine salt water as well as fresh water lakes and seas. Still wondering what these are..? Well, sea vegetable is that stuff that makes sushi a nice and neat little package on your appetizer plate!
Although sea vegetables are underappreciated in American culture, they've long been a staple in Asian cuisine. In India, the use of sea vegetables in salads and various other cuisines is growing faster than ever.
The names of sea vegetables that we typically hear are Agar Agar, Arame, Nori, Hijiki, Kombu, Dulse, Sea Palm and Wakame. While Nori is best for making sushi rolls, wahkame, a deep greyish-green sea vegetable, tenderest of them all is either eaten raw as a snack, added to soups and stir fries or sprinkled on salads or stews as an easy way to add minerals to one’s favorite foods.
Health Benefits
- Empowers the immune system, improves general well-being and accelerates wound healing.
- Sea vegetables maximize the body's metabolism and anti-ageing defenses.
- Sea food contains minerals like zinc, boron, tin, selenium, chromium, antimony and bismuth, which are missing in today’s modern food. Not many know, unusual amount of vitamins, including E, A, C and B12 are also present in these se veggies.
- They are stores of magnesium, iron, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B, and Vitamin K and plant compounds called lignans. They are also a rich source of iodine, which promotes healthy thyroid function and contains a carbohydrate-like substance which has anti-inflammatory properties.
- There are certain sea weeds which are rich in calcium, protein, iron and micro nutrients which are required for proper functioning of the body. Potassium present in sea weeds helps in maintaining healthy blood pressure levels.
- Certain compounds in sea vegetables help in fighting cholesterol, cancer and blindness. As per studies, Dulse hinders the growth of cancer cells by 69%.
The best place to find sea vegetables are health food stores, or a reputable online source. In India, sea vegetables can now be easily bought online from vegetable shopping portals, such as www.health-mall.in
In most places, sea vegetables are available only in dried form. Once you have opened the packages, keep them in air tight containers in a cool place. If the vegetables absorb moisture, they could be re-dried in a microwave.
Lastly, it cannot be forgotten that sea veggies possess the ability to take up heavy metals like arsenic and lead in polluted waters. Arsenic is the most problematic and particular with hijiki. Sea vegetables therefore cannot be seen as a sustainable and reliable staple in our food supply as it’s difficult to guarantee their mineral content which depends on weather conditions, water depth and the source.
