Vegetables that come from the sea may not be the most widely used or the most well known. However, most sea vegetables are rich in minerals and can have a variety of health benefits. They can be prepared and served in a number of ways and added to soups, stews or salads. Sea vegetables are a staple in Asian cuisine and used in a variety of dishes.
Nori
Nori is one of the most popular types of sea vegetables and is used in a variety of Asian dishes. Nori is sold in grocery stores already dried and has the appearance of black or dark purple paperlike sheets. Nori is most commonly used to make sushi and is used to wrap rice and other ingredients into a roll. It has a nutty flavor when toasted and can also be chopped up and used as a garnish in salads, soups or with noodles.
Arame
Arame is another common sea vegetable in Asian cuisine. Arame is used in many health-conscious dishes, as it is a good source of iron, calcium and iodine. It is very sweet in taste and often cooked with tofu or beans and also added to Asian-style salads. When saut ed in a frying pan, it can also be served by itself as a side vegetable. In a grocery store, arame will come in a bag and look similar to black strings of hay.
Wakame
Wakame is most commonly served raw and is also an item on many Asian restaurant menus. Nama wakame is Japanese for raw seaweed and is the main component of seaweed salads. Bags of heavily salted wakame can be purchased in Korean and Japanese markets; wakame is green and looks similar to thick blades of grass.
Dulse
Dulse is another common type of sea vegetable and can be prepared and eaten in a number of ways. Dulse is rich in iron and has other health benefits. It has a mild salty taste and can be a substitute for salt in dishes such as soup. It comes in either a powered form or sun-dried and can even be eaten raw like jerky. The preparation of dulse will depend on how it is being used, but it is typically rinsed two or three times and then dry roasted for 5 to 10 minutes. Sun-dried dulse is sold in bags and looks like reddish-black sheets of jerky.
Kelp
Kelp, or konbu, is another type of sea vegetable that can be served in a variety of different ways. Kelp is very rich in a number of minerals and is usually sold dried in sheets or strips. The best quality kelp is very dark in color and has white residue on the surface, which is very flavorful. It is used to make soup stock or added to soups or stews. Kelp can also be pan fried and made into chips.
Tags: added soups, added soups stews, another common, Asian cuisine, dishes Nori