Varieties of seaweed

There is a whole variety of seaweed out there in the vast ocean. Are you aware?

This dish has coliflor, Red pepper, sesame seeds and kombu mixed in a mixture of soy sauce and sweet sushi vinegar.

"Of the eight major groups, three are used for food. Red seaweed, or Rhodphyta, includes dulse, purple nori, ogo, agar and Irish moss. Brown seaweed, or Phaeophyta, includes kelp, kombu, wakame, arame, hijiki and rock weed. Sea lettuce belongs to the Chlorophyta, or green seaweed group." from a NY times article on seaweed

Seaweed can be expensive to buy if you see them in health food stores. If you live near an asian population, you can find a large variety of dried seaweeds in asian supermarkets. There you will also find incredibly cheap fruits and vegetables, though you may not know what a lot of them are. That can be a fun adventure

"Arame, Eisenia bicyclis, is rich in iron and calcium. It is usually tossed into stir-fried dishes or soups, but can be served marinated in soy sauce and vinegar or fried with tofu."

"Dulse, or Rhodymenia palmata, which sometimes goes by the poetic name ''Neptune's girdle,'' once was eaten as a snack like potato chips in Western Europe and New England. Dulse is found in the North Atlantic and the waters of the Pacific Northwest. Fast-cooking and purplish-red, it is delicious fried in butter, added to soups and salads and combined with grains like oatmeal and barley. Rehydrated, it can be used as a leafy green, or mixed with cream cheese to make a savory spread for bagels. Or coat it in batter and fry it." Most of that sounds like something I will not be doing with Dulse. I like my dulse raw.

"Hijiki, Hizikia fusiforme, is excellent for dieters because it is very filling, and adds a crunchy texture and nutty, meaty flavor to almost any stir-fry dish, soup, stew or salad. Brown when fresh, hijiki turns black and stringy when dried. It is especially good cooked with onions and tofu."

"Kelp, a Laminaria, is available powdered, for use as a salt substitute, and is also sliced for soups, stews, vegetable and noodle dishes. Tasty when toasted until crisp and fragrant or fried in a little oil, it is also delicious crumbled onto popcorn, nuts, seeds, soups and salads. Kombu, also a Laminaria, is packaged dried in flat sheets or strands and is best known as a flavoring - along with shaved bonito flakes - in dashi, the Japanese soup stock." You can also find delicious kelp noodles online or at rainbow grocery and they make an excellent substitute for wheat noodles.