Seaweed is packed with organic glutamates – the building blocks of the fifth taste: umami. This is what gives seaweed its natural flavour-enhancing properties. Each type of seaweed has a different flavour profile. Scroll down for detailed tasting notes, or hit the button and we will send you a free sample pack!
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Alaria esculenta, Winged Kelp, Butare
Overview: Similar to Japanese Wakame in texture and flavour. Green and fatty flavour notes with a slight floral tone also found in fish and shellfish.
How to use: Simmer the dried kelp in hot water for 30 seconds. Adding a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda will help retain the vibrant green colour. When the kelp reaches desired softness, blanch in ice water to stop the cooking process.
Cut away the stalks (these are thicker and need extra cooking time, approx 15 min). Add a tbsp of white vinegar when cooking to tenderise the fibres.
Take the leaves of the kelp. Rinse, dry and cut into pieces. Stir through with ingredients like cucumber, citrus, rice noodles, soy sauce, sesame oil to create a salad.
Wakame contains phytochemicals that act as thickening agents. Blend blanched wakame and blanched spinach to create a smooth green purée.
Garnish soups with small pieces of dried kelp, allowing them to rehydrate in the liquid and enhance the flavour, nutrition and texture.
Porphyra umbilicalis, Laver, Fjærehinne
Overview: Nori has a mild taste, with flavour notes of clams and oysters. It works well as a flavour enhancer when combined with ingredients like soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and mirin.
How to use: Submerge dried nori in oil preheated to
180˚C and fry for approx. 30 seconds for a crispy texture and and a salty, nutty flavour.
Crumble dried nori over salads or soups and stir through. Let sit for 10 – 15 minutes to absorb the liquid and rehydrate.
Roast in the oven for 10 – 15 minutes at 180˚C then blend into small flakes and use as a seasoning.
Simmer over a low heat for approx 6 hours then strain to produce the Welsh delicacy laverbread – a flavourful gelatinous paste that compliments seafood and potato dishes. Season the water with soy sauce and black vinegar for a more complex flavour. Combine laverbread with oats and butter, then shape into patties and shallow fry for laver cakes (similar to blood pudding, but plant-based).
Saccharina latissima, Sugar Kelp, Sukkertare
Overview: Named for its distinctive sweet taste caused by a high concentration of the natural sugar mannitol. Sweet kombu is naturally high in iodine, so we recommend soaking it in water first. Blanching sugar kelp before use can reduce the iodine content by up to 90%.
How to use: Add a piece of dried kelp to soup, stock, or slow-cooked stews to infuse it with extra umami.
Sugar kelp has thick leaves that are great for steaming. Soak the kelp overnight in cold water then use to wrap fish or meat, then steam to cook and tenderise the protein, whilst also combining the complimentary flavours.
Soak the kelp in cold water overnight. Rinse, then slice finely and add to salads and coleslaw, or pickles and ferments like kimchi and sauerkraut.
For honey-glazed sugar kelp, blend neutral oil with honey. Brush both sides of the dried kelp with the mixture, then bake at 160˚C for 4 minutes on either side.
Vertebrata lanosa, Ocean Truffle, Trøffeltang
Overview: Truffle seaweed has the earthy, garlicky flavour notes of real truffles, combined with a fresh ocean taste. The strong flavour compliments seafood, but also works with vegetables dishes that could otherwise be matched with white truffles, like potatoes, eggs, and pasta.
How to use: the strongest truffle flavour comes when this seaweed is infused into fats. Finely chop the dried seaweed then add to room temperature butter then whip together for whipped truffle seaweed butter.
Pair with steak and oysters for a unique twist on surf and turf.
Create truffle seaweed oil by combining truffle seaweed with neutral oil, then vacuum seal and cook in a sous vide at 55˚C for 2 hours.
Works well in butter-based sauces like hollandaise. Be careful to incorporate the seaweed at the end of the cooking process, as too-high temperatures can break down the flavour.
Stir truffle seaweed through pan-fried mushrooms for a deliciously complex mushroom flavour.
Laminara digitata, Oarweed, Fingertare
Overview: With thick leaves and a hearty mineral flavour, kombu makes an excellent base for nutritional savoury broths and soups. Kombu is naturally high in iodine, so we recommend soaking it in water first. Blanching kelp before use can reduce the iodine content by up to 90%.
How to use: Kombu is highly prized in Asian cuisines to make the soup stock dashi. High in umami, it makes a great ‘veggie bone broth’. Gently simmer dried kombu in hot water for 20 minutes (don’t let it boil) then remove the kelp and add dried fish flakes (bonito) to taste.
Kombu’s firm texture makes it a natural choice for fermenting and pickling. Use the leftovers from your dashi to make pickled kombu with ginger and chilli, or green tomato and kombu chutney.
Add a piece of kombu to the water when soaking/cooking dried legumes to infuse with flavour and improve digestibility.
Kombu has thick leaves that are great for steaming. Soak the kelp overnight in cold water then use to wrap fish or meat, then steam to cook and tenderise the protein, whilst also combining the complimentary flavours.
Powdered kombu is a natural thickening agent, and can be used to stabilise and emulsify sauces, drinks, jellies and ice creams, with no adverse effect on the flavour.
Palmaria palmata, Dillisk, Søl
Overview: Delicate savoury notes with a smokiness that gives way to a sweet aftertaste, with hints of liquorice and nuts. Takes on a bacon-like flavour when fried, giving it the nickname ‘ocean bacon’. Vikings used to eat dulse on long voyages to ward off scurvy due to its high concentration of protein and vitamin C.
Pickled dulse works very well in salads, sandwiches, or as a garnish. Soak and rinse dried dulse in cold water, then cover with your hot pickling liquid plus aromats. Wait at least 24 hours before serving.
Roasting dried dulse in the oven will result in nutty flavours. Careful not to burn – roasted dulse is ready after just a few minutes.
Frying will develop more of the smoky notes and bacon-like flavours from which dulse gets its nickname.
Dulse is umami rich and a very successful flavouring agent. Powdered dulse can be added to sauces, burgers, stews, rubs, marinades, and emulsions for extra nutrients and savoury deliciousness.
Powdered dulse infuses very well with dairy products like milk or cream. This can be incorporated into desserts like ice creams and mousse, which leads to interesting flavours with notes of Japanese matcha tea.
Our seaweed is 100% organic and wild-grown in the pristine waters of Lofoten. In our unique climate seaweed and kelp flourish, creating flavours that are unparalleled in nature. Seaweed is the original flavour-enhancer; talk to us about how it can elevate your menu.
Seaweed is one of the most versatile plants on the planet; it brings a new dimension to any culinary creation. We supply talented and creative food producers who make everything from seaweed chocolate to seaweed cheese, and would be happy to discuss how seaweed can transform your next product.
Shipping via DHL express or DB Schenker (Ex works) for larger orders. Cost dependent on volume, price list available on enquiry.
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