Undaria pinnatifida

One of the most popular sea vegetables harvested for consumption is Undaria pinnatifida, commonly known by its Japanese name wakame. This seaweed is a form of kelp and is part of the highly nutrition brown algae family. It ranges in color from dark greenish-brown to dark brown and resembles a palm frond in shape. Winter to spring is the growing period for the plant. At the end of the growing cycle, wakame releases spores. They are dormant during the summer, germinate in the fall when ocean temperatures fall below 20° C and a wakame plant grows. Kelps are the largest form of algae and the wakame can reach 1 to 3 meters in adulthood. They grow in bunches called kelp forests.

Wakame is mainly a product of the Koreas and Japan with far less harvested by China and plays a major role in Asian culture. Archeological digs reveal that Japanese people enjoyed the benefits of seaweed over ten thousand years ago. Poetry has been written about this plant and, at one time, only nobility were allowed to consume it. Now, it is enjoyed by all and as populations grew, it became necessary to cultivate wakame to keep up with demand. It has since been transplanted to parts of Western Europe, Australia and North America.

Wakame contains a variety of vitamins and minerals. It has low levels of an omega-3 fatty acid which helps promote good cholesterol and cardiovascular health. The benefits are similar to taking fish oil capsules, but wakame offers this nutrition without the fishy odor. Vitamin A, B12, sodium, iron, calcium, thiamine and high levels of protein are also found in wakame. It is no wonder that Asian culture has used it for medicinal purposes for centuries.

After the harvest, wakame is either dried or salted and packaged. Probably the most common way to enjoy is wakame is as a salad or soup additive, like in miso soup. Korean women use it in ritual soups eaten before and after childbirth and to celebrate other special events. It is also added to rice and stir-fry for extra flavor. Dried wakame needs to be kept in a dry, dark location and in an airtight package. Cooked or fresh wakame must be refrigerated.

Through research, other benefits besides the high nutritive value are being discovered. One such discovery involves fucoxanthin is the carotenoid pigment giving wakame its brownish color. It also controls the photosynthesis process of turning light into energy. Wakame contains high levels of fucoxanthin. This gives the seaweed great antioxidant properties which help regulate harmful free radicals from the body. Studies are also examining fucoxanthin extracts from wakame and other brown algae as a possible weight loss supplement because of its metabolic properties.

Undaria pennatifida is considered an invasive seaweed, meaning once it gets its hooks in a body of water, it pretty much takes over. This has happened off the coast of New Zealand. It is believed that fishing boats from China brought spores with them to New Zealand Harbour and more recently off the coast of California. While there are concerns about effects on the native ecology, if seen in the right light, its presence can be of economic benefit by harvesting the seaweed, especially as new studies find ways to harness the benefits of fucoxanthin and other nutrients found in wakame.

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