Title: seaweed-msg
Subject: Period use of seaweed as food and for other uses.
Author: Edited by Mark S. Harris
Last saved by: Mark S. Harris
Keywords: medieval, seaweed, dulse, sea plant, samphire

seaweed-msg – 6/30/15

Period use of seaweed as food and for other uses.

NOTE: See also the files: herbs-msg, salads-msg, Ireland-msg, fd-Ireland-msg, pickled-foods-msg, fd-Scotland-msg, fd-Iceland-msg.

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This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I  have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.

This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

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Thank you,
    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous
                                          Stefan at florilegium.org
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Date: Sun, 07 Mar 2004 00:44:40 -0500
From: Johnna Holloway <johnna  at sitka.engin.umich.edu>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Period Seaweed Recipes?
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks  at ansteorra.org>

> snipped---
> That's because they're two separate dishes. McCormick gives a recipe
> for Brotchan Foltchep (a.k.a. Brotchan Roy), saying this was
> apparently eaten by Colmcille, and he also mentions, sort of
> peripherally, that he ate a lot of dulse. I haven't been able to find
> any specific references to either food in documents even remotely
> contemporary to Colmcille (his bio by Adamnan is quite a bit later
> than Comcille himself). It may have been a tradition on Iona, I don't
> know.
>
> Adamantius (trying to remember the sauce he used for the lamb
> medallions wrapped in laver and steamed -- probably a caper butter
> emulsion...)

Dulse in Ireland, according to Alan Davidson, was eaten
from ancient times onward and is recorded in the 7th century
Irish laws Corpus Iuris Hibernici. It was again something that was
eaten during the famine years. (Actual Irish, Welsh, and Scots
recipes (also Cornwall) are all going to be much later, since we just don't have
the early published works from those regions. Traditional recipes
for those countries using seaweed aren't that hard to find.)
Carrageen is another variety that is cooked with and that one
I have worked with. I made a molded cream one time that was
set up with 'Irish moss'. It worked alright, but the taste wasn't all
that good. I think people expected a very sweet pudding and it wasn't.

Johnnae  llyn Lewis

Date: Mon, 08 Mar 2004 12:51:31 -0500
From: Lsa Kuney <lkuney  at ec.rr.com>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Re:  Period seaweed recipes
To: sca-cooks  at ansteorra.org

Samphire (Crithmum maritumum) has been eaten in he Southwest of England
from at least medieval times.  It is now called Sea Fennel and is eaten
pickled.  In German it is called "meerfenchel", and in Italian "Herba di
San Pietra".  It grows on rocky cliffsides and is mentioned in King
Lear.  Both Gerard and Culpepper speak of it in their writings.  It
makes a very unique and aromatic pickle.  I saw it mentioned in modern
Cornish recipes when I lived there.  I will try to locate some recipes,
but since it is pickled fresh, I am unlikely to locate an American source.

Halima
Raven's Cove

Date: Tue, 09 Mar 2004 10:09:46 -0500
From: "Sayyida Halima al-Shafi'i of Raven's Cove" <lkuney  at ec.rr.com>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] samphire
To: sca-cooks  at ansteorra.org

Here are some links to samphire...sorry I don't have time to summarize
for a post about it, but the kind referred to in medieval documents is
Rock samphire, which grows to this day in Cornwall (where I lived) and
other rocky, coastal place in Europe, and rarely in Australia.

(http://www.riverhouse.com.au/factsheets/rock_samphire.html,
http://www.oldcity.demon.co.uk/eastanglia/country/samphire.html)

and you can buy jars of it pickled.

There is a kind of samphire that grows in North America, apparently
known as salicornia (marsh samphire) on the coasts of oceans,
(http://eat.epicurious.com/dictionary/food/index.ssf?ARROW_UP=3420) but
I have no experience with it.

If I recall correctly (and I am dredging this wwaaaayyyy up from the
depths of my poor brain), there is a literary reference to samphire in
one of Louisa May Alcott's books, in which the child means to say
"vampire" and instead says "samphire" thereby inviting ridicule from
someone for comparing someone to a pickle.  This is post period but
shows that samphire is still alive and kicking.

Halima
Raven's Cove

Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:58:58 -0400
From: "Elaine Koogler" <kiridono at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Period Japanese or other oriental soup
	recipes
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

On Sat, Aug 23, 2008 at 10:50 PM, Sharon R. Saroff <sindara at pobox.com>wrote:
<<< My son is seeking to make a soup with seaweed but I am not sure if this is
period.  Does anyone have any period recipes?

Sindara >>>

Dame Hauviette d'Anjou (Channon Mondoux) forwarded a couple of documents to
me that include references to soups made with sea weed in both the early
Irish and Viking cultures.  Included was the following information in one of
the documents, a feast at Carrick Fergus:

*Dulse Stew*

I was inspired by a recipe in *Traditional Irish Recipes*, written by John
Murphy and hand scribed by Margaret Batt. Although the book is laden with
recipes containing potatoes, I found it to be significant in true to form
early recipes (such as the one for Dulse Stew, see below) . Murphy notes
three early sources ; "The Complete confectioner, or the whole art of
confectionary made plain & easy" (H. Glasse, Dublin 1742), "The Lady's
Assistant for Regulating and Supplying her Table" (Charlotte Mason,
Dublin1778) and
J. Mc Waters, "Cheap Recipes & Hints on Cookery Collected for Distribution
Amongst the Irish Peasantry in 1847". Although not in period, these early
sources indicate some history for these recipes. I suspect the origin of
some of these recipes go back much further than the dates sited above.

 In a discussion on the SCA Cooks List, Master Adamantius, writes that the
soup known as brotchan foltchep is traditional Irish cooking and is
"apparently of much greater antiquity, having been mentioned and described
in the writings of St. Colmcille, c. 597 C.E. There's no telling how the
original differs from this, though. I am assuming that Colmcille's dish was
a bit more austere".

I found the same recipe in Traditional Irish Recipes, by John Murphy as
follows

*Brotchan Foltchep*

*parsley
2lb leeks
2 pints milk
knob of butter
2 oz oatmeal
salt & pepper*

*Boil the milk with oatmeal until cooked. Add the butter and mix in the
chopped leeks. Cool gently for one hour. Season to taste and garnish wiht
chopped parsley*

**In addition the same source provided the dulse recipe,

*Stewed  Dulse*

*dulce
butter
milk
salt & pepper*

*Cut the dulce from the rocks at low tide. Spread on shingle to dry in the
sun. Wash well to remove sand and grit. Place in a saucepan with milk,
butter, salt & pepper, and stew for three to four hours until tender. Serve
with oatcakes.*

The lack of quantities and the simplicity of instruction, leads me to
believe this is one of the recipes found in those early sources. Further
research is necessary to ascertain that as a fact. **

*Corccain's Dulse Stew*

*25 gm  dried dulce or 1/4 cup packed (available in most health food stores)
3 leeks chopped (including as much of the green as you can)
1 lb mushrooms sliced
3/4 cup salted butter
2 quarts whole milk
2 cups cream
2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp fresh ground black  pepper*

*Melt the butter in a dutch oven. Saute leeks and mushrooms till just
softening, let the butter brown.   Remove from heat and add the milk and
cream and return to heat. Reduce heat to low. *

*Rinse the dulce briefly in cold water, then chop. Add dulce to the pot.
Simmer for  30 to 40 minutes. Do not let the pot hard boil.  Season with
salt and pepper. Serve slightly less than hot.  Serves 12 large servings or
20 small.
*
I hope this helps....

Kiri

Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2008 23:01:39 -0700
From: David Walddon <david at vastrepast.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Period Japanese or other oriental soup
	recipes
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

What about Welsh Laver Bread? Seaweed loaf.
I was just in Cardiff for business and they sell it everywhere and  
claim that it is one of the oldest food products of Wales.
I have some modern recipes but wonder how old it really dates to.

Eduardo

Date: Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:19:38 -0500
From: moramarsh at aol.com
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] dulse?
To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org

From: Kathleen A Roberts karobert at unm.edu
<<< does anyone have any experience with dulse? i am going to try working with it but thought i might see if i can deflect any potential problems. ;) >>>

My experience with Dulse was not pleasant. I used it in a spice blend and found it oversalted everything to the point of killing any flavors. I tried to decrease the amount but even a pinch or two didn't help.

It is a great medicinal herb but again you have to get past the saltyness.

All my usages were with dehydrated product. Maybe fresh would be better.

Mora

Date: Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:08:53 -0500
From: Johnna Holloway <johnnae at mac.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] dulse?
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Irish moss or Carragheen yes.
 Dulse no.
I did a cream once with the former. Taste was strange.
Authentic stuff, but hardly edible.

Johnnae

Kathleen A Roberts wrote:
does anyone have any experience with dulse?  i am going to try working 
with it but thought i might see if i can deflect any potential 
problems. ;)

cailte 

Date: Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:53:44 -0500
From: Johnna Holloway <johnnae at mac.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] dulse?
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

It's defined on the web as "dark purple edible seaweed of the Atlantic 
coasts of Europe and North America [syn: Irish moss, carrageen, 
carageen, Chondrus crispus]"

There's a chapter titled "Sea Vegetables" in Cowan & Sexton's Irish 
Traditional Foods (1997). It covers dulse or dillisk, carrageen moss, sloke,
and kelp. They are also mentioned in Brid Mahon's Land of Milk and Honey.

I created the cream for a contest at an Irish themed event. The contest 
required it be Irish and have some sort of historical connection with 
Ireland.
As you recall Ireland is one of those countries where they started 
publishing cookery books very very late, so no there is not a pre 1600 
printed Irish recipe.

I did have an authentic Irish recipe from an older Irish cookbook. As I 
recall you steeped the moss in a heavy cream and added sugar. Would have simmered it until it thickened and then it was molded in a shamrock mold.
It set up and unmolded very easily. It was a pretty dish... pale green. 
Tastewise-- not so good.

And my collection of Irish books are mostly boxed, especially those that 
I would have had available in 1979-80.
So no I can't tell you which book it came out of. I suspect that if I 
had them available I could find it, but that's not an option.
There is a website here with recipes and more information on Irish Moss 
and the North American angle.
http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/PrinceEdwardIslandHarvest/moss_e/recipe02.html

Johnnae

Date: Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:07:00 -0700
From: "Kathleen A Roberts" <karobert at unm.edu>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] dulse?
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Johnna Holloway <johnnae at mac.com> wrote:
<<< There's a chapter titled "Sea Vegetables" in Cowan & 
Sexton's Irish Traditional Foods (1997). >>>

i have that one.  and like all cookbooks, they tend to 
tell you how to cook it, but not the potential pitfalls. ;)

Did you know ancient ireland had laws for who and how much 
dulse could be harvested?  much the same as with fishing 
areas.  i guess you can see i am getting edu-macated in my 
research for the upcoming class: Legends, Lawyers and 
Landfills, Documenting Early Irish Food.

 From what i have heard, perhaps dulse is best used as 
seasoning and not an ingredient!

cailte

Date: Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:44:34 -0500
From: "Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius" <adamantius1 at verizon.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] dulse?
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

On Jan 8, 2009, at 6:07 PM, Kathleen A Roberts wrote:
<<< From what i have heard, perhaps dulse is best used as seasoning and  
not an ingredient! >>>

As far as I know, it was used as a [main] ingredient. I suspect you  
need to work with the fresh stuff to get a sense of what the early  
Irish were doing; it might be a bit like tasting dried raisins and  
concluding grapes have a peculiar, very sweet, slightly oxidized  
flavor...

My go-to source for a recipe like this would be Malachi McCormick, who  
says, honestly, that he couldn't find any traditional written recipes  
for dulse, so he provides us with one he made up, also using dried  
dulse, reconstituted and mixed with watercress in a salad.

I could swear, though, that someplace I have a recipe that starts with  
the dulse-ey equivalent of, "First steal two chickens", as in, first  
collect some dulse off some rocks at the seashore, etc.

Adamantius

Date: Thu, 08 Jan 2009 19:27:49 -0500
From: Gretchen Beck <grm at andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] dulse?
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

--On Thursday, January 08, 2009 6:44 PM -0500 "Phil Troy / G. Tacitus
Adamantius" <adamantius1 at verizon.net> wrote:
<<< I could swear, though, that someplace I have a recipe that starts with
the dulse-ey equivalent of, "First steal two chickens", as in, first
collect some dulse off some rocks at the seashore, etc. >>>

This is the closest I could find. From An Historical Account of Peterhead,
from the Earliest Period to the Present Time: Comprehending an Account of
Its Trade, Shipping, Commerce, and Manufactures, Mineral Wells, Baths, &c.
with an Appendix, Containing a Copy of the Original Charter of Erection,
Together with All the Bye-laws and ...
By James Arbuthnot
Published by Printed by D. Chalmers, 1815

p 37
Dulse, or Dilse

This fucus is found in considerable quantities all along our coast and of
different colours, and sizes, in the leaf. The short purple-leaved dilse is
esteemed the best; the large gillard, or green-leaved dilse, appear to
contain fully as much saccharine matter as the other, but they are not so
tender...The best short dilse comes from Boddom and Longhaven: the less
they are exposed to the rays of the sun, they taste the better. They are
generally eaten here fresh: some people roast them, and they eat tollerably
well. The plan used in roasting dilse is as follows:--They are put into a
plate, and the lower ends of a pair of tongs are heated in the fire until
they assume a red appearance; they are then squeezed with this until they
are properly done, which is known by their assuming a dark olive green
appearance.

The New and Complete American Encyclopedia: Or, Universal Dictionary of
Arts and Sciences; on an Improved Plan: in which the Respective Sciences
are Arranged Into Complete Systems, and the Arts Digested Into Distinct
Treatises; Also the Detached Parts of Knowledge Alphabetically Arranged and
...
Published by John Low, 1807, notes

The palmatus, the palmated or sweet fucus, commonly called dulse or dilse,
groaws plentifully on the sea coasts...The inhabitants, both of Scotland
and England take pleasure in eating this plant; and women of weak habits
often recover an appetite by eating it raw...They sometimes eat it raw, but
esteem it most when added to ragouts, oglios, etc, to which it gives a red
colour; and, dissolving, renders them thick and gelatinous. On the Isle of
Skye, it is sometimes used in fevers to promote a sweat, being boiled in
water with butter...the dried leaves infused in water exhale the scent of
violets.

The pinnatifidus, the jagged fucus, or pepper dilse, is frequent on sea
rocks which are covered by the tides..This species has a hot taste in the
mouth, and is therefore called pepper ilse, in Britian. It is often eaten
as a salad, like the preceeding

Columbian Cyclopedia
Published by Garretson, Cox & Company, 1897, notes

...It is eaten raw or roasted, and with vinegar. IN Iceland, it is
sometimes boiled in milk. It is an important plant to the Icelanders, and
after being washed and dried, is stored in casks, to be eaten with
fish...The name Dulse is given in the sw of England to another sea-weed,
Iridaea edulis,...whih has an undivided obovate or wedge shaped, flat,
expanded frond, very succulent, tapering to a short stalk and of a dull
purple color. It is eaten either raw or pinched between hot irons -- Pepper
Dulse...another of ...has a pungent taste, and is used as a condiment when
other sea weeds are eaten.

toodles, margaret

Date: Thu, 08 Jan 2009 20:16:06 -0500
From: Johnna Holloway <johnnae at mac.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] dulse?
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Alan Davidson has recipes and a full description
in his book North Atlantic Seafood. see page 254.
Eating it fresh is described as 'chewing on a salted rubber band.'
If you search Google books under Irish Dulse recipes, you can look at 
the page.

Johnnae

Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2009 12:30:47 +0000
From: "Daniel Schneider" <macbrighid at campus.ie>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Sca-cooks Digest, Vol 33, Issue 17
To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org

From what I can remember from when I lived in Ireland, people didn't cook dulse, they cooked with carageen (Irish moss), which has a much less pronounced flavour. Dulse would be washed off, dried (and sometimes lightly roasted), and then eaten sorta like crisps. It's a snack that takes a little getting used to, but it's *so* worth it- all salty and oceany-tasting, and a really neat texture; starts off slightly crispy, then gets soft and chewy as it rehydrates. mmmmm!

Dan 

Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2009 15:38:38 -0500
From: ranvaig at columbus.rr.com
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] dulse?
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

<<< From _The Cookin' Woman, Irish Country Recipes_ published 1949, by Florance Irwin, who was a cooking teacher in Ireland just after the turn of the century. Some of her recipes come from 18th century cookbooks. Not period, but her descriptions of Irish Country Life are very entertaining. >>>

Since the recipe says to add salt, I don't think the dulse could have been that salty.  Its possible that dulse you purchase today is seasoned, meant to be eaten as is.  Both recipes say to wash the dulse before cooking it.

Chapter 14 Sea Vegetables and Oatmeal:  The Irish have always used sea vegetables - Dulse, Carrageen Moss, and Sloke.  They contain iodine and other sea salts, magnesium, sodium, etc.

Dulse (Rhodemenia Palmata) This is cut from the rocks at low tide and spread to dry on the shingle in the sun.  When dry it is sold at fairs and markets all pver the country, a halfpenny worth of dulse being a popular purchase.  It was supposed to be good for killing worms in children.

Fried Dulse (Glenarm) Wash the dulse in sea water.  Heat butter in a pan and fry the dulse until it turns colour.

Stewed Dulse (Portaferry recipe 100 years old at least (in 1949))  Wash freshly gathered dulse to remove sand and grit.  Put in a saucepan with milk, salt and pepper and stew till tender.  It take 3-4 hours.  Use as a supper dish with oatcakes or brown bread.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmaria_palmata
... it is relatively low in sodium and high in potassium.

Ranvaig

Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2009 13:59:20 -0700
From: "Kathleen A Roberts" <karobert at unm.edu>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] dulse?
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

ranvaig at columbus.rr.com wrote:
<<< From _The Cookin' Woman, Irish Country Recipes_ published 
1949, by Florance Irwin, who was a cooking teacher in 
Ireland just after the turn of the century. Some of her 
recipes come from 18th century cookbooks. Not period, but 
her descriptions of Irish Country Life are very 
entertaining. >>>

sounds like a good book to have. ;)  aren't they all?

i found packaged dulse at the local whole foods (ethnic 
section).  several ounces for $4.99 and it is packaged in 
maine.  what the heck, it's dulse in new mexico.  i am 
ahead of the game.  i found several employees at whole 
foods exceedingly helpful, not like the previous wild oats 
folks.

husband watched the purchase with the same look that 
fiesty gets when he sees the cat-carrier coming out. 
 terrified resignation, i guess you would call it....

i will be experimenting with it soon.  too expensive for a 
dish at a feast, but i think i can add it to things.  we 
shall see.

cailte

Date: Fri, 08 May 2009 10:15:29 -0600
From: "Kathleen A Roberts" <karobert at unm.edu>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] seaweed
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Ian Kusz <sprucebranch at gmail.com> wrote:
<<< I'm really gonna have to figure out what kind of seaweed I have.....anyone
who can read...uh....Chinese?  wanna come over?

Rinsed for how long? >>>

incredibly briefly.  dulse (quite different from other 
seaweed) is thin and breaks down quickly.  while cleaning 
it, I found some of the most amazingly tiny shells.  It is 
best to clean before rinsing.

dairine allen's irish cookbook has a number of recipes for 
the local seaweeds.  everything from soups, side dishes, 
to scones.

cailte

<the end>

Edited by Mark S. Harris	seaweed-msg	 of