Algae concentrate all the riches of the ocean.
Brown, red or green, they are delicious on the palate and are a great source of essential nutrients to keep fit.
Although their consumption is unfamiliar to us, except in the Japanese restaurant, it can now be found on the shelves of many organic or traditional supermarkets.
This is an excellent opportunity to diversify your diet and improve the quality of our menus, believes Dr. Hélène Gaumerais, doctor at the Thermes Marins de Saint-Malo, whose dietetic restaurant puts algae in the spotlight.
Why is it interesting to eat seaweed?
Dr Hélène Gaumerais.
Seaweed is the prototype of the ideal food for health. They are low in calories and contain almost all of the minerals necessary for the proper functioning of the body, such as iodine, potassium, iron and calcium. They also provide a large amount of protein and long-chain fatty acids that are beneficial to prevent cardiovascular disease in particular. Certain algae are also the only dietary source of fucoxanthin, a yellow-brown pigment that is highly antioxidant and has been shown to have anti-cancer properties in the laboratory. This substance also has a positive impact on the immune system by reducing inflammation in the body. Be careful, however: people with heart, kidney or thyroid disease, as well as pregnant or breastfeeding women,should not consume too much seaweed without medical advice because of their sometimes excessive richness in iodine.
Which varieties of algae should be favored?
Each species has its specificities.
Ulva - or sea lettuce - and sea bean are full of magnesium (2,790 mg and 1,590 mg per 100 g of dehydrated algae respectively), a mineral useful for transmitting nerve messages and regulating rhythm cardiac.
Nori, with which Japanese makis are made, has a remarkable level of protein: more than 30% of its weight.
It can therefore partly replace meat, which is interesting for vegetarians.
On the other hand, to fill up with calcium, it is better to bet on two brown algae, wakame and kombu.
However, find out where the algae you buy comes from because some can accumulate heavy metals, such as mercury or cadmium, which are toxic in high doses.
How to cook them at best?
The easiest way to start is to garnish your fish fillet or vegetables with some seaweed flakes.
You can also use seaweed tartars to enhance a pasta or rice dish.
Whole dried seaweed, on the other hand, must be cooked after having been desalted for a few minutes in clear water.
The ulve and the dulse can be eaten in the form of raw vegetables.
Wakame is eaten raw or cooked, with a green salad, cereals or in a soup.
But the kombu, with its fleshy strips, must be cooked for 20 to 30 minutes in boiling water.