How The Good Ocean is Bringing Seaweed to Indian Chefs | Eater

"The first business in India to harvest wild seaweed and sell it to chefs across the country, this company—led by founder and ecologist Gabriella D’Cruz and head of operations Chaitanya Chowgule—focuses primarily on sargassum (the most abundant of India’s nearly 800 seaweed species) while also working with spatoglossum, sea grapes and other, more bitter seaweeds. They invited head chef Varun Totlani to join a harvest on a biodiverse Goan beach as part of efforts to integrate seaweed into traditional dishes; Totlani was specifically looking for “an array of different seaweed species, including one called spatoglossum that tastes like raw mango, two types of sargassum, sea grapes, and more bitter seaweeds.” D’Cruz recounts the public’s surprise at what she harvests: “A lot of people think I’m coming to the tide pools to harvest mussels or oysters,” and she continues, “And then I have to tell people ‘oh no, I’m not really interested in mussels and oyster, I’m here for the seaweed'…And I always get very strange looks.” Harvesting is labor-intensive—repetitive diving to cut roots anchored to rocks and fighting tides in shallow water—and D’Cruz emphasizes the socioeconomic angle: “So while it is a lovely skill to have, it doesn’t take away from the fact that for many, many coastal communities that rely on this for their main livelihood, it’s a really hard job that they just don’t get paid enough money to do.” Post-harvest processing is also intensive and highly manual: cleaning the plants by hand, handwashing the seaweed in fresh water and salt water, drying handmade seaweed nests on racks for two days, and finally packing the dried seaweed in vacuum-sealed bags for safe delivery to chefs. Process improvements over time include using a sieve to save tender air bladders that fall off during hand-washing (these are “used in Totlani’s kitchen as seaweed ‘caviar'”) and using an insulated bag to keep spatoglossum cool in seawater during transit, helping to preserve the distinct raw-mango flavor the team has been trying to maintain for over two years. As D’Cruz puts it, “I personally am really attached to these ecosystems. I get a lot of joy from spending time in them. They’re also hugely important to oceanic ecosystems.”" - Emily Venezky