Comments on: Seaweed

by: mic

Wed, 28 May 2008 07:15:40 +0000

hi to all…
please help me where i can buy Eucheuma denticulatum and Caulerpa lentillifera…. thanks.. just post your reply here… thank you in advance..

by: kasseopeia

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 06:03:02 +0000

Quillene, I think the Tagalog/Bisaya “lato” is the same as the Ilocano “ar-arosep”. Or at least that’s what I was brought up to believe.

I love seaweed. I can “papak” seaweed and be perfectly happy.

As far as I remember, there are two types of lato (the ones that look like green grapes) - the big ones are a paler green while the smaller ones are a more intense (emerald to Sprite-bottle) green. Then there’s “guso” that looks like a tree-branch that comes in pale green, dark green and slightly red. Then there’s the hair-like “buhok” (like MM’s photo up top but with wider strands and a pale green to a reddish-brown in color) and the wide “gulamang-dagat”, which I believe is brown kelp. All these fresh seaweed we “piskag” (I think “himay” is the closest Tagalog approximation - to remove the inedible-looking bits) then blanch in boiling water, drain and mix with any or all of the following: any type of vinegar, salt, fish sauce, crushed heirlooms, finely minced red onion, grated ginger, diced green mango, pomelo.

I once made a pomelo-lato-lettuce salad with white wine vinegar and a bit of EVOO and some black sesame seeds (leftover from sushi-making). Not spectacular, weird even but good with seared tuna steaks.

I usually use seaweed within 3 hours of purchase. When I can’t do that, I “piskag” and place in a colander lined with moist paper towels and cover with another moist paper towel. Keeps in the vegetable crisper for about 48 hours.

Drying seaweeds, I think, preserves it best. I love seasoned nori. I even saw a product in Cash and Carry called Big Sheet - fried nori with spices. Nice snack.

by: Homebuddy

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 03:32:51 +0000

Yes, this fine guso is just blanched in boiling water because when boiled, it melts and turns to gulaman.
We just prepare it as any kinilaw, vinegar, tomatoes, onions, ginger, sili espada, sliced and add some sauteeed “hipon” fermented shrimps. Some add coco milk.
As to its shelf life, I just keep it refrigerated for up to 3 days if I can’t prepare them right away.

by: Marichu

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 01:38:03 +0000

Based on the topmost picture, I think it’s what people here in Hawaii call “limu” or “lipoa” (a type of limu). They’re mixed with sashimi-grade raw cubed ahi and tossed with soy sauce, chili pepper flakes, salt, maybe sesame oil, and maybe sweet white Maui onions. The appetizer is called “poke” (po-ke).

Another way it’s prepared by Filipinos here (I’ve only tasted this in Filipino households, but I’m not sure if they’re prepared in other households) is to pickle them. The pickle juice has the same sugar/vinegar ratio as papaya atsara. Then just add sliced onions and let it pickle.

Hope that helps!

by: ilongga

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:10:22 +0000

agree with natie. in iloilo we call it gulaman.
lived in tawi-tawi for some time. it’s the seaweed capital of the philippines, i think. it’s really something if your host prepares agal-agal (or agar-agar) for you. they’d rather sell the seaweeds for export than eat it.