Healthy living & lifestyle
Overall, however, seaweed consumption in Portugal is still low. “Statistics show that Portuguese people use about six kilos of seaweed per year, but mostly indirectly – through products like gelatines and protein extracts. Very few people consume seaweed directly,” Pereira explains. “At the University of Coimbra, my colleagues and I worked with the university chef to develop seaweed recipes for students and faculty – soup, rice, gelatine and more. It was a way to show how seaweed can fit into everyday meals.”
From soups to rice dishes, chefs and researchers are finding creative ways to weave seaweed into traditional cuisine while keeping cultural flavours intact.
based crops,” Child stresses. “As well as helping tackle problems such as overfishing, microalgae can be grown in large tanks and so has the advantage that it can be produced anywhere.”
Changing perceptions about seaweed on the table Pereira’s focus is not so much on algae as an element of cultivated seaweed, but as an ingredient in its own right that can be used as an alternative to fish. In his home country of Portugal, fish and seafood form a large part of the diet, deeply embedded in both cultural traditions and nutritional habits. Bacalhau – or salted cod – is perhaps the most iconic example, with hundreds of traditional recipes based on it. However, with concerns over overfishing, sustainability and dietary diversity, introducing seaweed as a complementary ingredient or partial substitute presents an opportunity for a more balanced approach. But changing perceptions is not easy – bacalhau is more than just a food; it’s a symbol of Portuguese identity, making any shift towards alternative ingredients a challenge that requires both culinary creativity and cultural sensitivity. “It’s not necessary to abandon bacalhau, but it is important to reduce the amount,” Pereira says. Seaweed can be introduced as one more component of Portuguese gastronomy – not the main component, but an additional ingredient. These days, young people go to Chinese and Japanese restaurants to eat seaweed, but it’s important to introduce it in a Portuguese way. You can use it in soups, rice dishes and traditional recipes – keeping the Portuguese culinary identity while adding a new ingredient.” It’s what he’s trying to do with his ‘Seaweed on
the Table’ workshops, which he started in 2009. “Back then, people thought I was a little crazy because historically seaweed was only used as fertiliser, not food. But now, years later, people say, ‘Oh yes, the food is very good, very healthy.’”
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Seaweed standards for boosting safety Another issue with algae adoption is that not all seaweed is created equal. Where Pereira goes to collect seaweed on the beach near his home, he knows it is safe. In Portugal, more widely, there are no nuclear installations so the country also doesn’t have problems with radiation in its seaweed. “In some other countries, like Japan, seaweed is cultivated near Fukushima, where there were radiation leaks. It’s important to check the origin of the seaweed you buy,” Pereira stresses. But even in Europe, he always advises an excess of caution, particularly while legislation in this area is still being developed. “Some seaweed species naturally contain high levels of certain minerals, like arsenic, which can be dangerous if consumed in large amounts. The issue is not the seaweed itself, but how much you eat over time. That’s why regulation is essential,” he says. “People need to understand the risks of collecting seaweed themselves. If you gather it near industrial areas or places with heavy pollution, the seaweed will absorb contaminants from the environment. The safest option is to buy from stores where quality is controlled.”
For his part, Pereira is working with the European Algae Biomass Association (EABA) to develop legislation that ensures seaweed used for food is free from contamination – whether it’s heavy metals, microplastics or radiation. This includes working with EABA colleagues to compile a list of edible seaweed species, which will help evaluate their nutritional benefits and identify possible contaminants. “Right now, food laws are designed for conventional ingredients, not for new foods like seaweed. We need to change that,” he believes.
He is also focused on transferring the scientific knowledge he and his colleagues have been gathering over the years to the market. “We know a lot about seaweed – its quality, its compounds – but the information isn’t always accessible to the public or businesses. Collaboration is key to making seaweed a viable food option.” With all this potentially on the table, who else is ready to book a spot at one of Pereira’s workshops? ●
Ingredients Insight /
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