Seaweed Power
Last Saturday we took a stroll through the Zihuatanejo market to pick up a few things we needed. My favorite part of the market is the area out back, along Calle Mangos, where the local vendors tend to hang out selling their produce. Walking along the crowded sidewalk we came across a fisherman with a sack-full of fresh seaweed, still glistening with seawater. It was a type of seaweed that we’d eaten before in one of the smaller marisquerías (seafood restaurants) in Zihuatanejo and that only seem to be available during the summer. I’m not positive what this particular variety of seaweed is, but to me it looks just like hijiki; here in Mexico we know it simply as algas (algae).
Now, what to do with a pile full of fresh and succulent algas? Especially when on a fast? Well, here was my solution, one that turned out to be both surprisingly refreshing and invigorating:
Fresh Seaweed Cocktail
1 small green onion
3-4 sprigs fresh cilantro (coriander), stems and all
3-4 sprigs fresh parsley, stems and all
3 roma tomatoes
1 small clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
pinch cayenne pepper or chile piquin
2 cups water
1 large handful of fresh algas, soaked in purified water and well rinsed
The following are optional and can be added if you want more greens:
1 large handful of spinach and/or
5-6 romaine lettuce leaves
pinch of sea salt
Blend everything up until totally liquified. You can drink this as a smoothie, leaving all the pulp in the drink, or strain it as I did since I’m avoiding pulp as much as possible while on my fast. More water can be added to thin it down either while blending or upon serving-or serve it over a lot of ice. The flavor is very similar to commercial tomato-based vegetables juices, and the taste of the seaweed itself, I find, is almost imperceptible–something that kind of disappointed me, since I love the taste of seaweed. It’s a great thirst-quencher.
Seaweed: Nature’s Secret to Balancing Your Metabolism, Fighting Disease, and Revitalizing Body and Soul
Pacific Seaweeds
The New Seaweed Cookbook: A Complete Guide to Discovering the Deep Flavors of the Sea
