Have you ever heard about seafood varieties for vegans?
The first item that springs to mind when we think about seafood is non-vegetarian. But you would be surprised to know that vegans too have seafood options! Mainly, seafood for vegans is nothing but aquatic weeds. It's usually sold in a powder or dried form. As a result, they are referred to as superfoods. Any grocery store, mainly an Asian food store, will have a variety of dried and fresh seaweeds such as nori, spirulina, wakame, and Kombu. Let's have a look at the vegan seafood menu and see what we can find to surprise you, delight your taste buds, and nourish your body.
Wakame
This is also called sea mustard. It is dark green seaweed with a smooth and silky texture. It tastes sweet and is mainly used in Miso soup.
Kombu
This is popular seaweed in East Asia. It can be found mainly in the Pacific Ocean and is frequently used in Dashi, a Japanese soup stock. It can also be eaten after being softened in hot water. Kombu is very nutritious, and it is the essential ingredient needed to prepare Japanese tea and a fermented beverage known as Kombucha.
Nori
This is known as the seaweed that is wrapped around sushi. Because of its deep purple colour, nori is also known as purple laver. When dried, it turns to a dark green colour. Like when the leaves of terrestrial plants are dried, they turn brown; nori does the same.
Rules
The eastern world isn't the only place where algae are widespread. Some western countries, such as Switzerland and Ireland, also use it extensively. It is a reddish-brown alga with a leathery appearance. But don't be alarmed because of the texture. It's available primarily in the form of dry flakes and powder. It's baked into chips and even used as soup flavouring.
Benefits of Seaweed
It has a lot of minerals, antioxidants, vitamins, and iodine. Thus it's good for you. In addition, it's one of the best B12 sources. There are numerous methods to incorporate seaweed into your diet. So here are some ideas for you: put it in your soup, salad, curry, and so on. But it is usually a good idea to consult your doctor before incorporating any seaweed into your diet.
