In Lucky Peach‘s twelfth issue, Rachel Khong writes about the harvesting of wild algae, more commonly known as “seaweed,” on California’s coast:
The seashore is whereall our stories start. It’s understood that present-day humans evolved in littoral spaces, where the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish and shellfish, originally from seaweed, were needed to evolve complex nervous systems and big brains. Which is to say: eating seaweed — either directly or by proxy — was what made us us.
Ultimately, though, harvesting seaweed is more about pluck than know-how. You research the tides and head out when they’re lowest. You scramble down steep bluffs, then make your way over slippery rocks. You don’t necessarily have to be discerning. Unlike foraging for mushrooms, if you don’t know what a particular seaweed is, you can just trim a piece off, eat it, and see if you like it. It might be gross, but it won’t kill you.
from Longreads Blog » Longreads Blog http://ift.tt/1HsqvVO
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