ABSTRACT
Seaweeds have traditionally been used as food in several regions of the world, especially in East and Southeast Asia. Algae are eaten in various forms in coastal areas of Japan, China, Indonesia, Korea, and Philippines, with the earliest recorded use of seaweed dating back to 2700 B.C. The current average daily algal consumption per person in Asia varies between 3 and 13 g. In Japan, the average seaweed annual consumption is 1.4 kg per person. Seaweed species such as Hydroclathrus, Caulerpa, Eucheuma, and Acanthophora are used in many Asian countries as a green salad ingredient, whereas the coarser Gracilaria and Eucheuma are pickled. Other seaweed uses include salad, soups, pasta, and jellies. Seaweed has been a traditional food in many European societies, as well, especially in Ireland, Iceland, western Norway, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and some parts of the Atlantic coast of France. Nevertheless, in the west, seaweed is predominantly used as a source of hydrocolloids, including agar, algin, and carrageenan. Irish moss was used as a gelling agent for desserts in Ireland before gelatin was available. Later, large-scale commercial production of Irish moss extracts in puried and dehydrated form was initiated in the United States.1-4 This chapter discusses recent food applications of seaweed, followed by uses of individual seaweed polysaccharides in food. Their isolation and functional properties were discussed in Chapter 4.
