Seaweed That Can Taste Like Bacon
In one of the best pieces of news the human heart could actually hope for: Oregon State University researchers have created a type of seaweed that tastes like one of the best culinary achievements that mankind has to offer.
Oregon State University researchers have patented a new strain of a succulent red marine algae called dulse that grows extraordinarily quickly, is packed full of protein and has an unusual trait when it is cooked.
This seaweed tastes like bacon.
Dulse (Palmaria sp.) grows in the wild along the Pacific and Atlantic coastlines. It is harvested and usually sold for up to $90 a pound in dried form as a cooking ingredient or nutritional supplement. But researcher Chris Langdon and colleagues at OSU’s Hatfield Marine Science Center have created and patented a new strain of dulse – one he has been growing for the past 15 years.
This strain, which looks like translucent red lettuce, is an excellent source of minerals, vitamins and antioxidants – and it contains up to 16 percent protein in dry weight, Langdon said. (Via)
Of course, there have been many attempts to recreate the deliciousness of bacon, but all we ever got was turkey bacon. No bacon can taste like bacon — sometimes not even thinly sliced, low-sodium bacon. Turkey bacon is just bacon that pretends to be bacon, and also bacon that you can’t tell is ever cooked because it never changes color until it’s black. Was the original intention to create a new magnificent bacon substitute, or was it an accident?
“The original goal was to create a super-food for abalone, because high-quality abalone is treasured, especially in Asia,” Langdon pointed out. “We were able to grow dulse-fed abalone at rates that exceeded those previously reported in the literature. There always has been an interest in growing dulse for human consumption, but we originally focused on using dulse as a food for abalone.”
So when can bacon lovers get their hands on some of this baconweed/seabacon?
There are no commercial operations that grow dulse for human consumption in the United States, according to Langdon, who said it has been used as a food in northern Europe for centuries. The dulse sold in U.S. health food and nutrition stores is harvested, and is a different strain from the OSU-patented variety.
“In Europe, they add the powder to smoothies, or add flakes onto food,” Langdon said. “There hasn’t been a lot of interest in using it in a fresh form. But this stuff is pretty amazing. When you fry it, which I have done, it tastes like bacon, not seaweed. And it’s a pretty strong bacon flavor.”
The vegan market alone could comprise a niche.
So we won’t be getting our hands on it soon, but we can only hope. Vegetarians and vegans would jump at the chance to eat something that taste like bacon without feeling bad about eating an animal.
People looking for a healthy substitute would also throw their wallets at a healthy choice to replace bacon. Until then, we just have to settle for the regular stuff, I guess.
(Source: Oregon State)
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Jeff Sorensen is an author, writer and occasional comedian living in Detroit, Michigan. You can look for more of his work on The Huffington Post, UPROXX, BGR and by just looking up his name.
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