Just learned something… The ‘seaweed’ that sometimes washes up on the Riviera Mayan beaches is Sargassum, from the Sargasso Sea, in the mid Atlantic Ocean.

 I always thought the seaweed grew just off the reefs and the stormy weather would bring it in. Wrong!

It’s a Billion dollar per year industry, and has lots of uses… Who da thunk? I thought it was just an occasional nuisance.

Nutritional Value

Sargassum seaweed is a nutritious food rich in carotenoids, cellulose, protein, and aspartic and glutamic acids. Sargassum seaweed contains polysaccharies, which support healthy bloody pressure and blood sugar. It has antibacterial and antioxidant properties.

Applications

Sargassum seaweed may be used fresh, eaten with a dash of vinegar or lemon juice, or in salads. Hawaiians use fresh Sargassum seaweed as an accompaniment to raw fish. You'll often find Sargassum seaweed in soups, vegetable dishes, and in seasonings, and it’s used as a thickener in cream and pharmaceuticals as well as food. (File photo).