Now that I am no longer a blow in, a long way from Tipperary, and live at an address that you can hear the Atlantic ocean from my back door and that those crazy notions I had of luring money paying folk out on wild food walks, actually seems to be working!! Heritage Festival on the 25th. G.I.Y group Ennis, etc etc, a gang of such people followed me recently, down the road past Barrtrá Restaurant and out over the slimy rocks to identify and harvest beautiful seaweed from the rock pools, at the warm low tide on a recent Saturday.
The seaweed harvest
It was 2pm. armed with buckets, a blue plastic vegetable crate, and a huge shopping bag, we tentatively made our way down to the waters edge, gasping at the treasures at our feet. As the water was warm, it made the experience all the more enjoyable, as my boot sprang a leak, and filled with mineral rich salty water, squelching as I laughed out loud, like a child let loose. The questions started, ”what’s this”?, ”can you eat it”? ”Can I bring some home”?. In all we found most of what we were looking for.
Carrageen Irish Moss (Chondrus crispus) deep pink, a gelling agent to desserts and savoury dishes alike, and used in the treatment of colds.
Dillisk or Duileasc or Dulse, (Palmaria palmata). One of my favourites, as it can be eaten dried and uncooked, a wonderful healthy snack, to have in the car. My kitchen, smelling of it now,stored in brown paper bags.
The Kelps on the day were not that abundant, but we managed to harvest a few that were holding on, namely Suger Kelp (Laminaria saccharina), and another favourite Kombu, or Oarweed (Laminaria digita), versatile and delicious, and used extensively in Japanese cuisine, kombu is said to be rich in umami, the fifth human taste after, sweet, salty, sour and bitter, it enhances other ingredients.
Nori (Porphyra purpurea) the most highly consumed seaweed in the world, was for another season, after the first frosts of the New Year, I can’t wait.
I had brought along some homemade brown bread with Dilllisk, and a few bits to taste, which we did after our invigorating, educational, magical walk to collect such a highly prized, highly nutritional gift from the sea.
