Do you know your sea lettuce from your dulse? What about your bladderwrack from your Carrageen moss?
No? Fear not, Dr Prannie Rhatigan joined Maura Derrane (filling in for Oliver Callan) on RTÉ Radio 1 to discuss the various health benefits and delicious recipes that can whipped up from harvesting the coast.
As well as working as a GP, Dr Rhatigan is the author of Irish Seaweed Kitchen, a book that has become the ultimate bible for cooking with sea vegetables.
"I'm fortunate in that my father was also a medic," says the Sligo woman. "He grew up using seaweeds and knew the value of using seaweeds on the shore.
"When we were small children looking out of the pram, my parents were harvesting, bringing the seaweed home, cooking up some great dishes, which is what led me to doing that first book."
As well as tasting delicious (sea lettuce makes for a "fabulous pesto"), Dr Rhatigan says that there are anti-viral properties in seaweed that can be used to shift phlegm from the chest.
"We should be extolling the benefits of, especially, Carrageen moss," she insists.
Although there are over 600 types of seaweeds, they can generally be classified into red, greens and browns. To get a better understanding of the vitamin-packed plants, Dr. Rhatigan has designed a splash-proof photo guide complete with QR code that leads to a video tutorial on each.
"All of them are powerhouses of nutrients," she says, noting that seaweed is a pre-biotic packed with soluble and insoluble fibres, which feed the good bacteria in the gut.
"They've been described as the most nutritious form of vegetation on the planet."
According to Dr. Rhatigan, as little as five grams of seaweed a day could give a person a great dose of minerals.
"Less is more when it comes to seaweed," she explains. "They've been described as having 10 times more minerals and trace elements content of the land plants - which is very important to know."
Despite seaweed being abundant on our shores, Maura notes that it's not nearly as popular as a delicacy in Ireland as it is in parts of Asia. She posits that this may be because people are scared to forage the land.
However, Dr Rhatigan insists that harvesting the shores is a part of Irish tradition.
"It's our heritage," she states. "It's our heritage to be able to go to the shore and to know what to do and to be able give the seaweeds a little haircut, take the seaweeds back, and have them in your food."
Tips for foraging
- When it comes to foraging, seaweed should not just be pulled out of the ground. Instead, Dr. Rhatigan advices using a sharp knife or scissors to snip off a selection.
- Never harvest around the mouth of an open river. Be sure to check with your local county council to help you locate a rocky shore that is clean of pollution.
- Be careful when near a body of water. Follow the tide out and don't put yourself in any danger.
- Work with the environment and don't disturb the area.
If you're living in the midlands and don't have access to the coast, the author recommends sourcing and supporting your local seaweed harvester or to find some homegrown businesses that may be selling dried seaweed blends online.
To listen to the full interview, and to hear about an upcoming climate change event, listen back to RTÉ Radio 1 above.
