Wakame is a green alga very common in Asia, coming from the temperate coasts of Japan, China and Korea.
What is the origin of wakame?
Also called “sea fern”, wakame is an edible alga particularly prized in Asia.
This sweet food then spread to Europe and America, and demand keeps growing for this alga with its proven health benefits.
In maki or in a salad?
Its slightly sweet and very briny taste is reminiscent of the flavour of oysters or certain seafood. Its texture is particularly tender and soft, and the glutamic acid it contains makes wakame a perfect ingredient for enhancing the taste of the foods it accompanies.
Wakame thus makes a delicious filling for maki, and wakame salad, a tasty side dish.
It pairs very well with fish and vegetables, and can also be eaten as a soup or a velouté.
A particularly healthy and nutrient-rich food
This food offers several health benefits: it detoxifies the digestive system, strengthens the immune system (through the beta-carotenes it contains in large quantities) and helps prevent cardiovascular diseases thanks to its particularly rich vitamin K content.
Wakame is also recognised for its benefits for the skin, helping to fight acne, and can be used as part of a slimming diet.
What's more, it provides high amounts of fibre, sodium, calcium, iodine, iron, beta-carotenes, and vitamins K, A, B1, B2, B9, B12 and C.
Note, however, that its high iodine content makes it a food to avoid for people suffering from thyroid problems.
A genuine health asset, a dish full of flavour, a taste enhancer — wakame is a food full of promise.
