{"id":34629,"date":"2016-12-05T10:22:44","date_gmt":"2016-12-05T10:22:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jomec.co.uk\/altcardiff\/?p=34629"},"modified":"2016-12-05T10:22:44","modified_gmt":"2016-12-05T10:22:44","slug":"in-depth-welsh-seaweed-returns-to-the-spotlight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2016\/12\/05\/in-depth-welsh-seaweed-returns-to-the-spotlight\/","title":{"rendered":"In depth: Welsh seaweed rebirth"},"content":{"rendered":"

The traditional Welsh favourite is on the rise in the Cardiff food scene as both cooks and diners learn to appreciate its versatility<\/strong><\/p>\n

Looking like nothing so much as a blob of black sludge, laver seaweed isn\u2019t the prettiest of foods. However, it was once a South Wales staple, until modern food technologies and changing tastes pushed it out of the spotlight.<\/p>\n

Recently, however, a new generation of Welsh foodies have rediscovered the sea vegetable and are inventing up-to-date, exciting dishes that showcase its distinctive flavour.<\/p>\n

Laver is porphyra umbilicalis<\/em>, a red seaweed that is only found along the coasts of the Irish Sea. It\u2019s often said to be the same as its cousin, the better-known Japanese nori, but they\u2019re different varieties of the same species.<\/p>\n

Jonathan Williams, founder and owner of the Pembrokeshire Beach Food Company<\/a>, explains the difference by comparing them to different types of red grape: \u201cTheir tastes are similar, but they have different qualities.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Man's

It\u2019s not clear when the people of Wales started eating laver. Some date it to the Vikings, but there are archaeologists who believe that the Welsh have been eating local sea vegetables along with cockles and mussels since prehistoric times.<\/p>\n

The seaweed became identified with Welsh, and in particular South Walian, cuisine, and was an important part of local food identity until processed foods became widely available in the mid-20th<\/sup> century. By the 1970s, laver was at its lowest point: rarely eaten and with only one company processing and selling it.<\/p>\n

A foodie renaissance<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the following decades, however, a combination of the growing popularity of Asian cuisine, especially sushi, rising awareness of the need to find more sustainable food sources, and greater confidence in Welsh food led to a resurgence in the use of laver.<\/p>\n

Today, there are a number of B&Bs and caf\u00e9s offering laverbread, which is cooked seaweed mixed with oats and fried, as part of a Welsh Breakfast, including Cardiff\u2019s Garlands<\/a> and the Bull Terrier Caf\u00e9. But there are also innovators incorporating laver into their dishes in new and exciting ways.<\/p>\n

Jonathan\u2019s Pembrokeshire Beach Food Company harvest and process laver and other native seaweeds. They then sell them at festivals, through their deli range online and in shops, and at their seasonal Caf\u00e9 M\u00f4r. Their website has recipes for each of their products, and the ideas for laver range from pairing it with scallop and\u00a0 bacon in a butty to mixing it in porridge with berries.<\/p>\n

Explaining what inspired the company to develop such off-the-wall ideas for the seaweed, Jonathan says, \u201cIt\u2019s not just a fantastic ingredient; it\u2019s not just packed full of healthy nutrients; it adds flavour to your food and we want to get you to the point where you use it like you use any other herb on the rack.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cardiff Welsh food champion Sian Roberts<\/a> has produced versions of traditional Welsh dishes such as laverbread, but says Welsh cooks need to \u201cbring them into the 21st<\/sup> century\u201d in the same way the French and Italians constantly update their cuisines.<\/p>\n

\"processed

Not even its biggest fans would call processed laver pretty<\/p>\n

\u201cOn its own, it\u2019s not the most attractive dish,\u201d Sian concedes. \u201cIt\u2019s quite a Marmite-type product, but it\u2019s also a versatile ingredient you can use in lots of different dishes.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

She has incorporated laver into such dishes as a dip for crisps and crudit\u00e9s and a lasagna with spinach. When asked what inspired her to find such novel uses for the seaweed, she laughs. \u201cI think I was hiding it from my sons,\u201d she says. Sian also makes a laver soup as a vegetarian option at cooking demonstrations when she makes traditional Welsh cawl, and the meat-eaters frequently prefer the veggie version.<\/p>\n

Dusty Knuckle Pizza<\/a> is a new Cardiff restaurant that has won awards for their creative topping combinations. One of their most famous creations has been the Blas y M\u00f4r pizza which is topped with cockles, bacon and laver. \u201cIt\u2019s accidentally become our signature pizza,\u201d says co-owner and founder Phill Lewis. And indeed, Blas y M\u00f4r has gone viral, earning mentions in the Times, Guardian and Telegraph, as well as being recently voted one of the Top 8 pizzas on Snapchat.<\/p>\n

But Blas y M\u00f4r isn\u2019t the only dish at Dusty Knuckle Pizza featuring the seaweed. They sometimes stir it through sauerkraut and their antipasti board features rye and laver crackers from Cardiff\u2019s Inner City Pickle, which owner Eira devised especially for them.<\/p>\n

Suggestions for curious cooks<\/strong><\/p>\n

As anyone who\u2019s bought seaweed for home cooking knows, it can be expensive unless you know the right place to buy. A 120g tin of processed laver can cost upwards of \u00a31.75, but E Ashton Fishmongers<\/a> sells it by weight at 85p per 100g.<\/p>\n

Sian’s tasty soup is a perfect winter warmer<\/h5>\n