Irish moss, or carrageen moss (Irish:carraigín, “little rock”), is a species of seaweed which grows abundantly along the rocky parts of the Atlantic coast of Europe and the Americas as well as parts in the Pacific. In its fresh condition the plant is soft and cartilaginous, varying in color from a greenish-yellow, through red, to a dark purple or purplish-brown. The principal constituent of Irish moss is a mucilaginous body, made of the polysaccharide Carragenan of which it contains about 55%; the plant also has nearly 10% of protein and about 15% minerals, specifically rich in iodine and sulfur. Because of the abundant cell wall polysaccharides it will form a jelly when boiled or processed with water expanding from 20 to 100 times of its weight.
A super food
Irish Moss contains A,B,C,D vitamins that nourishes the skin In addition to its functional benefits. Raw Irish Moss is an excellent source of minerals. This almost-tasteless seaweed is loaded with life-enhancing nutrients such as sulphur compounds, protein, iodine, bromine, beta-carotene, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, zinc, pectin, B-vitamins and vitamin C. Notably absent from a vegetarian diet, sulphur-containing amino acids, such as taurine, are abundant in Irish moss, more so than in any other type of seaweed!
There are amazing recipes using this wonderful gift from the sea.
Our chefs at Kale U will post some delicious desserts using The Moss and Cafe Gratitude has a wonderful raw dessert book which uses it quite a bit. The book is Sweet Gratitude and everything we have made in that book rocks!
