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Eco123 Revista da Economia e Ecologia
Even though seaweed has featured in people’s diets in Europe in some way or another owing to the fact that there is a lot of it in the Atlantic Ocean, this product has not been a normal component of the Portuguese diet. However, in recent years, this superfood has been becoming more common on our tables. This change is not just a consequence of cultural globalisation and the speed of information, it also comes from people’s growing concern about their diet, and consequently about their health.
Seaweed has a number of known benefits, such as its great nutritional value, specifically the fact that it is high in calcium, and it is not uncommon for it to be used as an alternative to milk for this reason. Seaweed is also prized for its capacity for purifying the blood, and one of the seaweeds most commonly eaten owing to its unique character is the seaweed kombu.
Traditionally coming from Asia since 145 B.C., the seaweed kombu can be found in countries as diverse as China, Russia, Tasmania, Australia and South Africa, and it is at present one of the most commonly eaten seaweeds in the west. Its characteristic flavour is quite unusual: it is not sweet, salty, bitter or acid, but rather the least well-known flavour of all, “umami”, the Japanese word for “tasty and pleasant”, the effect on the taste buds of glutamic acid which is naturally present in kombu.
One of the countries where the use of this seaweed has been quite common for several millennia is Japan, and the main growing area, with 90% of the world’s total production, is the island of Hokkaido. Their typical traditional dish is dashi, of which one of the main ingredients is kombu, which is also used in some sashimi dishes.
In terms of nutrition, one of the great benefits of this seaweed is its high iodine content, a nutrient which is important for the production of hormones and maintaining the normal functioning of the thyroid gland.
Its great alkaline-forming capacity is also much appreciated when cooking legumes. Adding a strip of kombu helps to break down the fibres in this type of food that are difficult to digest, and also make them easier to prepare.
Other benefits include its vitamin C content, and a high concentration of iron, which helps to increase the bioavailability of vitamin C. In practice, this helps the organism to absorb this vitamin more effectively.
In general, kombu is eaten dried, which means that it keeps for longer. When used in its dried state, kombu must be soaked for about 30 minutes to facilitate the cooking process. It is also normal to add the seaweed to certain dishes as a replacement for salt, especially in the diets of those suffering from hypertension.
In Portugal, this seaweed can be found in most shops selling natural foods or organic markets.
Leave the seaweed to soak for about two hours to soften it and then cut it into strips. Fry the onion in olive oil, add the shoyu and cook it for a few minutes. Add the seaweed and cook it for another 15 minutes.
