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ForHidingSquirrels OP t1_iqu8qvy wrote

Offshore wind electricity generation could power the world with all of its energy needs. Offshore wind happens to be decently disbursed at higher latitudes in both the north and south hemispheres. Already we couple solar and food. If we’re ahead sending people out to manage the wind farms, might not be so hard to also send people to manage the food farms between the wind turbines?

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jeekaiy t1_iqu94p0 wrote

How nutritious? Can it become popular in mainstream?

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redceramicfrypan t1_iqudoc2 wrote

> It’s a superfood that’s rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants, and particularly high in iodine, so it’s very nutritious.

Right there in the article, friend. Think of it like any leafy vegetable. It is also relatively high in protein for its food group.

As for popularity, seaweed is widely consumed throughout east Asia and Japan in particular, so it depends what you consider "mainstream." If you mean "in the US and Europe," then I would say that Japanese food trends become mainstream in those places fairly readily.

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Specialist_Teacher81 t1_iquglan wrote

I also think I read somewhere it is used as an additive to other stuff. Ground up and mixed in to boost nutritional value.

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ForHidingSquirrels OP t1_iqujrp3 wrote

Can be fed to cows to lower their methane emissions

https://insideclimatenews.org/news/14062022/cow-seaweed-methane/

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oppositetoup t1_iqvb46j wrote

Feeding grain to cows makes them much worse for us. Feeding them literally anything else is much better.

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Single_Pick1468 t1_iqve0nl wrote

stop eating animals entirely is superior.

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Mcbadguy t1_iqvj8c4 wrote

I'd like to see lab grown meat become more predominant.

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Gen_Ripper t1_iqx5iqr wrote

I’d like people to realize they can survive without lab grown meat in the mean time and can eat plants.

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Doom7331 t1_iqxsncc wrote

Certainly can. Subjectively much less enjoyable though.

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changhc t1_iqva80k wrote

Yes. Seaweed extracts are commonly used to produce MSG. It's not just about nutritional value but also boosting the taste.

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Fuzzycolombo t1_iqwcait wrote

How’s it supposed to be prepared so it tastes good? I ate roasted seaweed sheets one time and found them disgusting. I can only imagine boiling raw seaweed and sticking it on my plate to be even worse

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redceramicfrypan t1_iqwnft2 wrote

That's another thing: there is so much variety in types of seaweed. I personally really like seaweed salad, which you can buy at many Asian groceries and some supermarkets. Briny and sweet and crunchy, I think it's delicious.

Sorry you had a bad experience with roasted seaweed sheets. Maybe you just don't have a taste for them. As for their broad popularity, though, I can attest that many of the (American) kids I work with bring packages of seasoned seaweed sheets with their lunch every day and absolutely devour them.

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Fuzzycolombo t1_iqx0upc wrote

Now I’m recalling I actually had some seaweed on top of some tuna tacos I ate a couple months ago and I’m pretty sure it was seaweed salad and I do recall it being really crunchy and good.

I’ll check out an Asian grocery store and see if I can find some seaweed salad

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Glorange t1_iqwiu0v wrote

Put it in a stew, adds a slightly fish flavor that’s diluted w water.

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celestiaequestria t1_iqurhh3 wrote

Reasonably. Already used in sushi / chirashi, so, yes?

Keep in mind anything people won't eat can always be used as an animal feed for things like fish farming, eggs, goat's milk, etc. Heck, you can even use it as a feedstock for making biodegradable plastic.

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keeperkairos t1_iqwvuy3 wrote

Seaweed is comparable to dark leafy greens. It's an exceptionally nutritious food and it can and has become mainstream, in Asia that is. The texture of certain seaweeds might be strange and even unpalatable to some people, but there are many varieties, and it can be dried. It's also delicious.

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Soepoelse123 t1_iqv7zv0 wrote

What are economical viability in these projects? They would probably need subsidies within the EU, but if it had subsidies on the level of other crops, would it be worth it financially?

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FuturologyBot t1_iqubw1e wrote

The following submission statement was provided by /u/ForHidingSquirrels:

Offshore wind electricity generation could power the world with all of its energy needs. Offshore wind happens to be decently disbursed at higher latitudes in both the north and south hemispheres. Already we couple solar and food. If we’re ahead sending people out to manage the wind farms, might not be so hard to also send people to manage the food farms between the wind turbines?

Please reply to OP's comment here: https://old.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/xu7os8/could_offshore_wind_sites_host_edible_seaweed/iqu8qvy/

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Raverack t1_iqvdkvr wrote

Does sea pollution affect seaweed? Think about the microplastics

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Ludwigofthepotatoppl t1_iqvmrb6 wrote

The science is still being done on that, but from some basic googling it seems like a minor issue—as seaweed doesn’t really eat, any microplastics found are on the surface, and can be easily rinsed away. HOWEVER: fertilizers, pesticides, microbes, heavy metals, and industrial contaminants could still present an issue.

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Sinemetu9 t1_iqxme07 wrote

And seaweed as a source of energy? These organisms have been perfecting it for millions of years.

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WackSparrow t1_iqxxs8g wrote

No I would not do that. This is because you are double dipping.

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JustAStepTooFar t1_iqyxwl4 wrote

I'm going to do my best to give my 2 cents, since I work directly in seaweed and shellfish. There is a ton of potential for seaweed, but it's really something that has to be marketed more and even at that, it's more of a novelty food. (To the west) The markets that this seaweed would be going to don't have it incorporated into the diet like Asia. Could a slow change be made, sure, but realistically, that's a cultural change. We never had a big reliance on sea vegetables to fulfill our dietary needs, and it's unlikely that we ever will. While the potential is there, many foods have come and gone as health fads. It's part of living in privileged countries people 😂

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