Wakame Seaweed

Diet Nutrition

Wakame is a kelp and looks and tastes like spinach lasagne. Wakame is similiar to Kombu and it can be used in many of the same ways, particularly in soup.

Wakame is probably best used in salads, added to soup or broth or used as a topping for other dishes. Soak dried wakame in water and it will expand to about ten times in size. Wakame should have the central vein cut out after soaking. It can then be either simmered for 10 minutes or cut into small pieces and served as a salad.

Wakame soba, a mixture of wakame and buckwheat noodles (soba) is a favourite at Japanese restaurants.

Wakame because of its kelp content is rich in protein, calcium, iodine, magnesium, iron and folate. Lower rates of breast cancers have been reported in Japanese women eating a diet high in kelp. Lignans, which help fight cancer are found in high quantity in wakame (kelp) and may provide protection against certain cancers.

Even though seaweed supplements and kelp tablets are currently being sold as energy boosters, there is no evidence that seeweed boosts energy except in those who are iodine deficient and have underactive thyroids.