A kelping hand

The age-old wisdom of eating your vegetables is showing no sign of subsiding, but what appears to be trending is the advice to also eat your sea vegetables. Enter – kelp. A superfood seaweed those in the know are predicting to be a standout ingredient in western cuisine this year.

TRADITIONAL TASTE
Seaweed as a dietary staple is nothing new; it has been used in Japanese, Korean and Chinese food for thousands of years. Now, it’s breaking through into western cuisines beyond sushi and miso soup. You might have seen dried nori snacks at the supermarket, but gastronomical gurus are predicting this superstar ingredients is about to be big.

SUSTAINABLY SALTY
The sustainability factor of kelp is a big part of its predicted popularity, it can grow from a seedling to five metres full size in a season, doesn’t need fertiliser and actually helps keep the water clean. And that’s just the environmental pros, it is also nutrient dense and packed with calcium and B vitamins.

FUNCTIONAL FORMS
So how can we expect to see kelp on our plates? Pundits suggest looking out for kimchi made from kelp, a kelp cube for your next smoothie, kelp-based broths and soups, and even kelp-centric salsas. And, as kelp becomes more mainstream, who knows what form this functional food may take.