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Laver, (Wild Nori) is harvested in the North Atlantic (Ireland, Wales, Maine) and in Northern California. Unlike nori, its not sold in sheets. Fresh, it looks lettuce-like.
Aliases: Porphyra umbilicalis, P. leucosticta, p. perforata, P. Nereocystis, wild nori, purple laver, sloak, karango, chichoy
Growing habitat: Laver grows in cold, mid-intertidal zones of the Northern & Southern hemispheres. It grows off of rocks or rockweed.
Nutrition: High in B vitamins, iodine, protein, (30% protein), vitamins E + C
History: Laver cultivation is believed to go back to ancient times in Wales and Scotland. Laverbread (made from laver) is a traditional welsh delicacy.
Uses: used in laverbread, can be added to steamed veggies to add extra taste, can be pan/oven roasted and added to other dishes
Preparation: If roasting, make sure to pull apart the leaves and check closely for tiny shells (remove these). Roast in an 250–300° F oven for 5 to 8 minutes on a cookie sheet or heat in a cast iron skillet on medium high heat until crispy.
Recipes:
Laver Mushroom Tofu Scramble
Wild Laver Onion Omelette
Toasted Dried Sea Laver
Buckwheat Noodles With Laver
1 comment:
Hello, Ann.
I found your blog while searching for info on purple laver -- my new favorite sea veggie. I'm scarfing down a lot of it, so I thought it prudent to do some digging and find out about its benefits (or drawbacks as the case may be).
A couple surprising things: Purple laver:
1. has a strange lipid in it that inhibits telomerase. This is an anti-cancer action of great interest these days.
2. according to patent literature, reduces triglycerides and cholesterol; effective "dose" about 5-40 grams daily. Very nice.
3. is a very good source of B12, with 30-60 mcgs per 100 grams.
(Extremely high for a veggie material.) It is also lower in iodine than most other sea veggies, which might be an advantage if you are using a lot of it (iodine can be overdone).
Cool, huh?
Sincerely,
Alan Lewis
Ann Arbor, MI
aelewis@provide.net
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