The trend today is to refer to marine algae used as food as "sea-vegetables". The main species used in Ireland at present are dulse, carrageen moss, and various kelps and wracks. Dulse - also known as Dillisk in a number of areas - is a red alga that is eaten on both sides of the North Atlantic. Generally only eaten in Ireland after it has been dried, it is frequently sold in small packets, most commonly in the west and north. About 16 wet t are used in Ireland at present; the species is also eaten in Canada, Iceland, Norway, France and Scotland. About 53 wet t of carrageen moss were gathered in Ireland in 1994.

Whilst dulse and carrageen moss are worthy sea-vegetables with a history of utilisation and a small but proven market, other species also show considerable promise. Our kelp resources are considerably under-utilised. All of the kelp species are edible but Saccharina latissima is probably the most palatable as it has a somewhat sweet taste, probably due to its high levels of mannitol, and it also cooks better. Two other brown algae with potential as food are currently under investigation by us: Himanthalia elongata, known in some places as thongweed, and Alaria esculenta, also known as dabberlocks or murlins.

Himanthalia is eaten in France after drying or pickling ("Spaghettis de mer"), and plants are sold in Ireland dried. After soaking in water it makes a surprisingly fine accompaniment to a mixed salad; it does not have the strong seaweedy taste that some dislike. With the aid of a basic research grant from Forbairt, the Irish research and development body, we are examining the growth and life cycle of populations of this species on the west coast. Plants are easy to collect but must be dried quickly and packaged well to preserve their excellent taste and mouth feel.

Alaria is a large, kelp-like brown alga that grows on exposed shores. In Ireland, plants grow to considerable sizes, being found up to 6 m in length in some areas, but these are dwarfed by some Pacific species that may grow to 18 m in length and to 2 m in width.

The market for such sea-vegetables is quite small and needs development and investment in marketing. Nutritionally, sea-vegetables are as good as any land-vegetable and, in some cases, notably nori, are superior in their vitamin, trace element and even protein content. Increasingly catholic food tastes in Europe should see increasing utilisation of sea-vegetables in the next 20 years.

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