Seaweed
History of seaweed food
Various types of seaweed have been eaten by people throughout the centuries. Archaeologists in the South of Chile have discovered remains that show that seaweed was already being eaten 14,000 years ago. Although edible seaweed was harvested naturally from the sea for centuries, people only started cultivating seaweed in Asia towards the end of the Middle Ages. And even more recently, in just the last 50 years, has seaweed started to be cultivated in the rest of the world, including Europe.
Japan
Although seaweed has never been a staple part of our daily diet here, in some parts of Asia it is quite normal to eat seaweed. Japan in particular has a long tradition of eating seaweed. In Japanese culture, seaweed is seen as a ‘side dish’ that is served with around one-in-five of all meals.
Some researchers even think that eating large amounts of seaweed can help you to live longer. After all, Japan is the country with the highest average age. Plus many of the oldest people in history have been Japanese. The high iodine content of seaweed might be a possible explanation for this. But can seaweed really be the secret to longevity? That still has to be scientifically proven.
Why seaweed?
There are plenty of scientists, food companies, and climate experts who think we should all start to eat more seaweed. Seaweed is rich in fibre, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Compared to vegetables that are grown on land, seaweed contains a lot more nutrients. In addition, proteins are incredibly important for muscle development. Although there is a lot of protein in meat, seaweed offers an excellent alternative. Only a small amount of seaweed will often contain more nutrients than the same amount of vegetables grown on land. For example, seaweed is rich in magnesium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin K, folate, and even vitamin B12. Although some types of vitamin B12 found in seaweed cannot be absorbed by the body, in addition to protein it is an important nutrient that today people often get from meat.
Squiby Foods has a great assortment of seaweed products!
We have an exciting partnership with a company that offers a range of outstanding, innovative seaweed products made from wakame seaweed: sea grapes, various sea salads, sea chips, seaweed caviar, seaweed burgers, and tasty seaweed pasta.
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