Why is seaweed so expensive? What is seaweed made of?

Seaweed is distributed along the coast of my country. There are two types of seaweed sold on the market, one is roasted seaweed, and the other is called "instant seasoned seaweed". Seaweed has high nutritional value and is rich in protein, minerals and vitamins. It is called a treasure house of vitamins. Friends who like to eat seaweed know that seaweed is relatively expensive. Why is that?

Contents of this article

1. Why is seaweed so expensive?

2. What is seaweed made of?

3. How to distinguish the quality of seaweed

Why is seaweed so expensive?

The cultivation and processing of seaweed is complicated. Not only does it have to go through processing and sorting, but it also requires rinsing, crushing, high-temperature steaming, dehydration and baking. Finally, auxiliary materials such as edible seasonings must be added, so the cost naturally increases a lot, resulting in high prices.

Seaweed has high nutritional value and is rich in protein, minerals and vitamins. It is known as a treasure trove of vitamins.

Nori is laver, but not all laver is nori. One is Porphyra tannica and the other is Porphyra yezoensis. Porphyra yezoensis is mainly used to make nori and can also be made into laver cakes, but Porphyra tannica can only be made into laver cakes.

What is seaweed made of?

Nori is made from Porphyra yezoensis, which is roasted and then added with oil, salt and other seasonings. It is crispy and tender, melts in the mouth and can be eaten directly. All seaweed is seaweed, but not all seaweed is nori.

Nori is distributed along the coast of my country. There are two types of nori sold on the market, one is roasted nori and the other is called "instant seasoned nori".

As a snack, seaweed is usually divided into three production processes: salt-roasted, sauce-roasted, and fried seaweed. All three processes are deep processing of seaweed as raw material.

For example, salt-grilled seaweed was introduced to Korea. Its raw material is Korean laver. It is crispy, thin, salty, oily and has a short shelf life.

How to distinguish the quality of seaweed

You can tell the quality of seaweed by smelling, looking, and tasting it. High-quality seaweed smells like seaweed, while low-quality seaweed may smell musty and fishy. High-quality seaweed looks more shiny, smooth, and tastes crispier and more fragrant, while low-quality seaweed is darker, uneven, and has a poorer taste.

To judge the quality of seaweed, you can first smell it. If it has the aromatic smell of seaweed, it means the quality is relatively good and it is not contaminated or deteriorated. When choosing, if you encounter any odor such as moldy or smelly, it is generally inferior or even deteriorated seaweed. Be sure not to buy this kind of seaweed. Be sure to pay attention when choosing.

Better seaweed is thin and even, algae green and shiny. Each piece of high-quality square seaweed is flat, evenly thick, neat and square, without any extra chrysanthemum spots or dead spots. Inferior seaweed is uneven in thickness, dark in gloss, and appears purple-black-red, with obvious wrinkles, chrysanthemum spots, holes and other defects.

Nori is a common snack, usually divided into three types: salt-roasted, sauce-roasted, and fried. High-quality nori tastes full of natural flavor, does not contain preservatives and additives such as MSG, has a fresh, crispy taste, and melts in the mouth. Poor-quality nori has a strong taste of additives, has no natural flavor, and is difficult to chew.