Seaweed

Tags: foraging for wild food (matauk) Description: Seaweed is a little-used food resource. Several of the species contain plenty of good minerals and have a fine umami flavour. No poisonous species have been recorded in Europe. Many species can contain a certain amount of heavy metals and iodine, and we should therefore not eat large quantities of seaweed.

Use: Seaweed is first and foremost a flavour enhancer, and gives an umami taste. You know, one of the five taste senses: salty, sour, sweet, bitter and umami. They also contain the same vitamins as land plants and more minerals than any other food group. Seaweed also contains proteins and antioxidants. (Ting med tang). Seaweed works very well used together with seafood and in fish soup. The most common practice is to dry seaweed in order to use it as salt and as a flavour enhancer in many different dishes. Habitat type: Coast Edible: Yes Equipment: • Foraging net (you can use a washing bag) • Scissors (cut so that you do not tear up the whole plant) • Micro-spikes on your boots (so that you do not slip) Sustainable foraging: • Wracks (tang) grow like a flower, so harvest only the outermost shoots and tips so that the plant can keep growing. • Kelp (tare), on the other hand, grows from the base like a strand of hair, so that the newest and most delicate part is near the root. Always leave the root plus the innermost 10–15 cm of the kelp standing so that it can keep growing (tingmedtang). • Do not pick more than you need. • Note: strict rules for foraging in protected areas, such as Jærkysten. Written by: Eteutehilde

Tips for picking:

• Pick only where there is good water flow without pollution.
• Never pick seaweed that has drifted ashore.
• Always rinse seaweed well in salt water.
• Keep the seaweed in seawater for as long as you are at the shore.
• Check the tide table and start foraging a little before the water level is at its lowest.
  • Tide table: https://kartverket.no/til-sjos/se-havniva

See seaweed map: https://tingmedtang.no/tangweb/tangkart/

Read more? Ting med tang: https://tingmedtang.no/

Text: Hilde Grøtte

Next steps

• Plants — the hub
• Learn more about plants — references and identifying features
• Foraging — practical harvesting
• Food from nature — wild plants — preparation if edible

Learn more

• Artsdatabanken — species, status, Red List
• SNL — Norwegian botany — encyclopaedic
• Sopp- og Nyttevekstforbundet — courses and checks
• Botanisk forening — Norwegian botany community