Introduction of seaweeds in desserts: The design of a sea lettuce ice cream

Marine macroalgae are complete foods through a nutritional point of view, however studies in the context of phycogastronomy are scarce. The present work intends to discuss the design and validation process of a novel food product made using the seaweed “sea lettuce” (Ulva sp.). First instrumental and sensory analyses of the seaweed were carried out to build a flavor profile. Then, an ice cream was formulated, evaluated by a focus group, and finally it was applied in high gastronomy dessert. Results of the analyses show that some algae, if properly processed and worked in the best way, have a potential to be introduced into various food products and recipes, including pastry formulations.