Dulse (Palmaria palmata)
            It is a red seaweed that grows attached to rocks by a "holdfast" in the North Atlantic and Northwest Pacific. It is commonly used in Ireland and Atlantic Canada both as food and medicinally and shipped around the globe.  Dulse is the only major sea vegetable, which comes into the American diet from Northern European cultures.  Over years, it has become clear that consumers of this Seaweed have a particular fondness.  When speaking with the harvesters where I receive my Dulse from, state that it is the most popular Seaweed of the Western Diet.  Once you've tasted this sweet soft Seaweed they may come to realize how its popularity is so widespread.

            Grand Manan is known for the best Dulse because of the geography of the island. On the western side high cliffs shade the intertidal zone protecting Dulse from bright sunlight during the morning.  The massive Dulse beds of Grand Manan Island, in New Brunswick off the Canadian Atlantic Coast, yield tons of Dulse for the world market.  Maine wild crafters sell all the Dulse they can get from their rocky Coast.   "Dark Harbor Dulse" is darker, thicker and more flavorful than Dulse growing elsewhere, including the eastern side of Grand Manan and the other islands in the Archipelago. Dulse grows quickly in the summer and the same shores may be picked every two weeks.

             Dulse grows from the mid tide portion of the intertidal zone (the area between the high tide and low tide) and into deep water. Fronds may vary from rose to reddish-purple, and range from about 20 to 40 cm (8" to 16").  From June through September, it is picked by hand at low water, brought to drying fields (or spreading grounds) and put through a shaker to remove shells pieces, etc.  The fronds are spread thinly on netting and left to dry, turned once and rolled into large bales to be packaged or ground later.  The blade is deeply cleft or branched, up to a few inches wide and several feet long.  Dulse may look like a flame painting in the surf, vaguely reminiscent of a waving palm; hence its species name, palmata.  The shape of the blade varies with its location.

             Dried Dulse is deep red to reddish-brown, somewhat leathery in texture, and salty even if it has been rinsed in fresh water to remove sand.  Dulse is slightly crisper in texture than other leafy red sea vegetables.  Fresh, it tastes like potato peelings.  Look for Dulse in low-tide pools and sea-filled crevices in locations shaded from morning sunlight.  Sun-dried Dulse is eaten as is or is ground to flakes or a powder.  It can be used in soups, chowders, roll -ups, and salads.  Fresh Dulse can be eaten directly off the rocks before sun-drying. A variety of Dulse is cultivated in Nova Scotia and marketed as Sea Parsley, sold fresh in the produce section.  The reddish translucent, dried plants make an attractive specimen.  Protect it from direct sunlight.

            Dulse is a good source of dietary requirements. A handful will provide more than 100% of the daily amount of Vitamin B6, and 66% of Vitamin B12.  A days supply of " organic" Iron and Fluoride for great for strong teeth.  It is relatively low in Sodium and high in Potassium.

            Harvest Dulse by pulling the longer blades from the rocks, leaving shorter blades for regeneration.  Avoid grey or roughened blades.  Sometimes Dulse looks beautiful in the sea but dries a dead-leaf grey, so don't go crazy on harvesting a big patch you've just discovered.  Spread the Dulse in a mat on screens to dry.  If you harvest midday, hold the crop in cool storage overnight and spread it in the morning, so it will be mostly dried by dusk, to avoid that frosted salty look.  It can be flipped like a pancake mid afternoon.  If you leave it out in the dew overnight, it will fade to pinkish-white.

Lavar/ Nori (Porphyra)
            Nori is eaten fresh or sun-dried, then crumbled into soups, dehydrated crackers, salads, made into Lavar Essene bread, or cultivated "Asian" Nori processed into sheets for sushi wrap.  Of all the different types of seaweeds this particular one appears best for making vegetable roll -ups.  The translucent, dried plants make an attractive specimen. Protect from direct sunlight.  Lavar or Nori grows in thin sheets on rocky shores, attached by a "holdfast" and is found from mid to low tide in the intertidal zone. Color varies depending on the species and the amount of exposure to sun but most are a reddish hue.  Harvesting is best during the mid-summer months.

Kelp (Laminaria longicruris)
            Kelp is sliced and added to soups, salads, or ground fine and used as a healthy salt substitute.  This Seaweed is often recommended as a nutritional Super Food to assist in proper thyroid metabolism and greater overall circulation.  Practitioners in the Holistic Kelp typically recommend this because kelp is very high in the mineral Iodine.  It grows a long rocky shores below the low water mark, attached by a "holdfast" and reaching lengths of 4.5 to 11 m (or 15 to 36').  Kelp is best harvested in early spring before they sporulate and are grazed by Periwinkles and Sea Urchins.
 

            These nutritional powerhouses are worthy of being a regular feature in your meals.  Sea vegetables are raised and bathed in the mineral-rich sea and contain collectively 56 known minerals and trace elements considered essential body requirements, providing high quantities of potassium, magnesium, iron, iodine, and calcium.  Another amazing substance found in sea vegetables is sodium alginate, which binds to heavy metals in our gastrointestinal track, forming a gel-like salt that has been said to eliminate radioactive and environmental contaminates through the feces.  Seaweeds have been said to reduce these toxins by 50 to 80 percent!   The dried plants make an attractive specimen.
             Seaweeds are healing to the mucous membranes, promote healthy skin, aid in digestion and are said to enhance the mobility and flexibility of the joints.  Why is this?  They are high in trace minerals, and the "knitting" mineral Calcium, required for all wounds to heal properly.  Use them in salads, as a condiment, in fruit.  Use in salad rolls with naturally dried, not roasted, Nori or Lavar sheets.