Foods Containing Seaweed

Oct 20, 2010 | By Ashley Tyson

Seaweed is a nutritious algae that is present in many cuisines, particularly Asian. The most nutritious seaweed is purple laver, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. There are several other seaweed types, including green laver, wakame, kombus and hiziki, as well as others. Many food dishes contain this item.

Sushi

Sushi usually contains raw fish and seasoned short-grain rice that is rolled up with seaweed, although you may use raw vegetables in lieu of fish. Nori a purplish-black seaweed that appears thin and flat, the Food and Agriculture of the United Nations states. The seaweed itself is approximately 30 to 50 percent protein, 75 percent of it is digestible. There are two forms of sushi rolls, maki and temaki. Maki is a roll cut into six or eight pieces, while temaki is a cone-shaped handroll.

Laverbread

Laverbread is boiled laver seaweed minced up and cooked in fat prior to consumption, according to Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, the government council area of Scotland. This item is native to Wales and is sold fresh and tinned in the U.K. Laver contains a significant amount of the vitamins A and C, as well as folic acid and niacin. The taste of laver seaweed is attributed to the thee major amino acids: alanin, glutamic acid and glycine, according to Food and Agriculture of the United Nations.

Seaweed Soup

Seaweed soup is a traditional Korean dish called Miyokguk. Hi Shoo Shin Hepinstall says in the book "Growing up in a Korean Kitchen," that this soup is made with dried wakame seaweed. It is especially important for pregnant women in Korea to consume this dish as it has a cultural relevance. Hepinstall says that Korean ancestral history says that seaweed soup is a nutritional powerhouse that fortifies the bone and acts to cleanse the blood.