By Peggy Kingery, from the October 1999 Newsletter

When I first mustered up the courage to make a side dish using sea vegetables, my husband responded by barking like a seal. So much for building up my confidence! Resolutely, I prepared the recipe and much to our surprise, we really liked it. We've been enjoying them ever since.

Sea vegetables, which comprise up to 5% of the macrobiotic diet, are one of the most nutritious and least processed foods on Earth. While we tend to think of them as part of Far Eastern cuisine, they were traditionally consumed by people all over the world, including North and South American natives and the early New England settlers. Today, they are harvested off the coasts of Maine, California, and Nova Scotia, as well as countries in the Far East.

The nutritional benefits of sea vegetables are astounding. As they grow, they convert inorganic minerals from seawater into organic mineral salts that combine with amino acids and are readily available to the body. They are abundant in calcium, iron, protein, iodine, niacin, thiamin, and vitamins A, C, E, and B12. More importantly, with the decline in the quality of topsoil due to modern farming practices, including sea vegetables in the diet may be the only way of getting essential trace minerals. Recent research has suggested that they may help reverse hardening of the arteries, reduce high blood pressure, regress and prevent tumors, and even remove toxic metals from our bodies by transforming them into harmless salts (via a substance called alginic acid) that are easily eliminated. They help purify and strengthen the bloodstream by alkalizing it if it is too acidic and reducing any excess stores of fat and mucus. In addition, they strengthen the intestines, digestive system, liver, pancreas, and sexual organs; enhance mental clarity and awareness; and promote beautiful skin and hair. Phew!

There are a wide variety of sea vegetables to choose from, all with different tastes, textures, and uses. Following is a brief description of the most common ones available at the Co-op. All of these are purchased dried and can, therefore, keep indefinitely.

Arame: a brown algae with large leaf-shaped fronds. It comes shredded, and has a mild, sweet flavor. It is delicious when cooked with root vegetables, seitan, tofu, tempeh, and corn.

Hijiki: also a brown algae but with short, needle-shaped fronds. It looks like a thicker, darker arame, but has a rich, nutty taste. It is used in much the same way arame is, but needs a longer cooking time.

Kombu: comes in thick, flat strips. It contains naturally-occurring monosodium glutamic acid and, as such, is used mostly to enhance the flavor of grain, bean, and vegetable dishes; it also makes an excellent soup stock. Kombu helps soften beans as they cook, making them more digestible and less gas-producing. Its flavor is soft and sweet, but if not cooked long enough it tends to be tough and slippery.

Wakame: a delicate, thin, leafy green algae. It cooks very quickly, is excellent in soups and salads, and has a subtly sweet taste.

Nori: a red algae which comes in thin, flat, paper-like sheets or in flaked form. It is used to garnish noodles, grains, and vegetables and serves as a wrapping for sushi and rice balls.

Other sea vegetables include sea palm, ocean ribbons, purple dulse, Irish moss, and agar agar.

Cooking sea vegetables is relatively simple. All varieties (except nori) are quickly rinsed or soaked for several minutes to soften before slicing into bite-sized pieces. The reconstituted form is generally 2-5 times greater in volume. Cooking times vary depending upon the variety. Nori needs only be lightly toasted over an open flame before using.

On the macrobiotic diet, eating 1/3 oz dry weight per day is recommended. Initially, the taste, texture, and smell of sea vegetables might take some getting used to. Wendy Esko, in "Introductory Macrobiotic Cooking," offers the following suggestions for beginners: 1) use a larger proportion of sweet-tasting vegetables such as corn, carrots, and onions when preparing side dishes to reduce the strong sea vegetable flavor; 2) when cooking arame and hijiki, cook until all remaining liquid is gone so that the sea vegetables taste sweet; 3) in soups and stews, cut the sea vegetables in tiny pieces and also reduce the amount called for in the recipe; and 4) do not use the sea vegetable soaking water in cooking if it has a strong and salty taste.

Unless your family enjoys experimenting with new tastes, I recommend introducing sea vegetables into your diet gradually—VERY gradually. A small handful can easily be added to soups and stews without noticeably changing the flavor of the dish. I always cook beans with finely-diced pieces of kombu; they dissolve into the liquid as the beans cook so that finicky eaters need not even know it's there.

Feeling adventurous? Here's an easy recipe for novice palates. And if anyone at your dinner table begins barking like a seal, take heart. Soon they'll be asking for seconds.

Arame With Sweet Vegetables

1/4 - 1 cup arame, to taste
1 cup onions, sliced in half-moons
1 cup fresh corn kernels
1 cup diced carrot
1 teaspoon sesame oil
spring water
shoyu or tamari, to taste

Wash and drain arame. Heat oil in a skillet and saute onions and carrots for two minutes. Add arame and enough water to cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Add corn and shoyu, and simmer until all liquid has evaporated.

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