- Secondly, kelp is a superfood\u2014an excellent source of iodine and micronutrients. It also, incidentally, has an umami-rich flavor, making it great to cook with and eat. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- And finally, you\u2019re likely to be more aware of it because it\u2019s popping up in all kinds of products, along with seaweed. (Kelp is a species of seaweed.)<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
My kelp cubes were from Atlantic Sea Farms, which offers three flavors (blueberry, cranberry, plain) and three jarred products (Sea Beet Kraut, Sea-Chi kimchi and a fermented seaweed salad). Other companies with kelp offerings include Barnacle foods in Juneau, Alaska, which offers hot sauce, salsa, and seasonings, and Maine Sea Coast vegetables which sells flakes, seasonings, supplements, and bars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Barnacle](\"https:\/\/rangeme-blog-images.imgix.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/BBQ-Release-4-2.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1024&h=1024&fit=crop\")
<\/figure><\/li>![\"Barnacle](\"https:\/\/rangeme-blog-images.imgix.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Copy-of-BarnacleProduct_-37-of-61.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1024&h=1024&fit=crop\")
<\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\nIn the U.K., a nation with a lot of coastline and, thus, seaweed and kelp, there are companies including The Cornish Seaweed Co, whose products include flaked seaweed, seasonings, and crackers, and personal care products like foot cream and soap; and Mara Seaweed in Edinburgh, which sells dried, flaked, and powdered seaweed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kelp is becoming so popular that the WGSN Food & Drink social media influencer map named it one of the top six global food trends of 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Kelp is growing in importance across Western markets, including the U.S. and the U.K.,\u201d says Head of Food and Drink for WGSN Food & Drink, Jennifer Creevy. \u201cWhile it\u2019s been used as an ingredient in soups and broths for some time, we\u2019re tracking it being called out as the main ingredient across several product categories.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Atlantic Sea Farms distributes its kelp across the U.S. and, says Zo\u00eb Croft, sales director, it\u2019s a superior product to the imported products which are dried, rehydrated and then dyed \u201cand highly processed,\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The company\u2019s products are sold via e-commerce and in specialty stores like Whole Foods and Sprouts, co-ops, regional chains, and independent stores. \u201cWe\u2019re really trying to normalize kelp consumption,\u201d Croft says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Atlantic](\"https:\/\/rangeme-blog-images.imgix.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/ASF_4-scaled.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1024&h=1024&fit=crop\")
<\/figure><\/li>![\"Atlantic](\"https:\/\/rangeme-blog-images.imgix.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/ASF_1-scaled.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1024&h=1024&fit=crop\")
<\/figure><\/li>![\"Atlantic](\"https:\/\/rangeme-blog-images.imgix.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screen-Shot-2022-04-25-at-4.23.00-PM-1.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1024&h=1024&fit=crop\")
<\/figure><\/li>![\"Atlantic](\"https:\/\/rangeme-blog-images.imgix.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screen-Shot-2022-04-25-at-4.26.53-PM-3.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1024&h=1024&fit=crop\")
<\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\nSales have grown during the pandemic, pushing the company to keep innovating. And in fact, last year, Atlantic Sea Farms started working with the University of Massachusetts to increase the use of kelp on the school\u2019s menus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA lot of students have been eating seaweed their whole lives and care about the impact their food choices have and kelp being carbon-negative is a huge win,\u201d Croft points out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Barnacle Foods debuted six years ago and ships its products across the country, to consumers and specialty retailers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The early adopters of these products tend to be \u201cpeople who are well-informed about climate change and take actions in how they purchase items for themselves because of their values,\u201d says co-owner Lia Heifetz. \u201cAs our business has grown, the customers we\u2019re now reaching are mainstream.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- And finally, you\u2019re likely to be more aware of it because it\u2019s popping up in all kinds of products, along with seaweed. (Kelp is a species of seaweed.)<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rangeme-blog-images.imgix.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019_Barnacle_KTN-348-1-scaled.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1024&h=1024&fit=crop\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n