When it comes to edible organic sea vegetables, wakame seaweed is one of the most popular. Being cultivated and eaten in countries such as China, Korea and Japan for many centuries, wakame is a delicious and healthy ingredient for making with salads, soups, sushi and more.
Apart from its delicious taste, it also has a variety of health benefits as well such as:
Reducing risk of heart disease and blood pressure
People that suffer from high blood pressure have an increased risk of heart disease due to extra strain on their blood vessels and heart, resulting in their heart muscles being weakened over time. There have been medical studies that suggest that consuming wakame in a regular diet can lower blood pressure and maintain good heart health, resulting in reducing the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease.
Decreasing blood sugar levels
Certain studies have found evidence that consuming wakame seaweed can help to prevent insulin resistance and assist with reducing blood sugar levels. This is extremely beneficial as insulin resistance caused high blood sugar due to impairing the body’s ability to transport sugar to the cells.
Loaded with nutrients
Wakame seaweed is loaded with beneficial nutrients such as calcium, manganese, magnesium, folate and iodine. Apart from being very low in calories, it also contains phosphorus, iron, copper and vitamins K, E, A and C. It has also been found to help with lowering cholesterol levels, which can if not kept under control can lead to increased chances of having a stroke or a heart attack.
Wakame seaweed salad recipe
As one of the most popular sea vegetables used in cooking, organic wakame seaweed can be found in many Japanese restaurants as a delicious and healthy side salad. With this easy to make recipe, your household can now enjoy the incredibly flavoursome taste of homemade wakame seaweed salad!
What you will need:
- Chilli flakes or powder (leave out if don’t like spice) x 1 & ½ teaspoon
- Brown sugar x 1 teaspoon
- Organic wakame seaweed x 1 packet
- Sesame seeds (roasted) x 2 teaspoons
- Organic brown rice vinegar x 2 tablespoons
- Organic soy sauce x 2 tablespoons
How to make it:
- Fill a large bowl with tepid water and add in the organic wakame seaweed.
- Let it sit between 10 to 20 minutes.
- Drain it and then trim through its central spine.
- Boil a small pot of water and then blanch until it has become soft.
- Drain and then soak in a bowl of cold water.
- Lay down some paper towel and then gently wrap it around the wakame to ensure all excess moisture is absorbed.
- Using a sharp knife, coarsely chop the wakame seaweed.
- Empty the large bowl of water and then add in the wakame.
- Now add in the brown sugar, brown rice vinegar, roasted sesame seeds, chilli flakes (if using) and organic soy sauce.
- Stir until all of the ingredients are mixed together.
- Serve into a bowl immediately and enjoy! You can also garnish with other sea vegetables such as chopping or shredding up some nori sheets and then sprinkling over on top.
