Secrets of the sea 鈥 creating innovative products which nourish body and soul
WHEN WE THINK of seaweed, many of us conjure up an image of different varieties of plants swaying back and forth in the water, as the waves gently lap onto the beach. We don鈥檛 often think of seaweed as a single food item on a dinner plate or an ingredient which can add flavour to both savoury and sweet foods.
Despite being a staple food in our ancestors鈥 diet, the art of harvesting and preparing seaweed to eat has been forgotten over the years.
But a small company in Fife has taken a traditional occupation and reinvented it for the modern world.
Mara Seaweed has breathed new life into a forgotten natural superfood and reintroduced it to Scotland and the world. Since 2011, the team has collected and harvested by hand a range of seaweed from the crystal-clear waters around the East Neuk of Fife, transforming the humble sea plant into a beautiful range of flavour enhancing products.
The founders have spent the last decade pioneering developments in harvesting, sourcing and processing seaweed. And in 2021, 精品短视 graduate, Emma Lamb, joined the growing team as product development technologist.
With a BSc (Hons) Nutrition and Food Science from 精品短视, Emma seemed a perfect fit to support Mara鈥檚 product and market development. In her final year at 精品短视, she had focused her honour鈥檚 project on Mara Seaweed, developing an energy gel for sports nutrition which incorporated seaweed powder. She went on to secure summer work with the company which led to a full-time role, just three months after graduating. She
is now one of seaweed鈥檚 biggest fans.
Discussing the nutritional qualities of this hidden gem, Emma explained: 鈥淪eaweed contains up to 85% less sodium than table salt. It gets its salty flavour from minerals like potassium and magnesium, making it a healthy salt alternative. It also contains a unique combination of all 56 vitamins, minerals, electrolytes and trace elements essential for human health, absorbed directly from sunlight and the ocean: so, it鈥檚 a truly natural, pure superfood. When harvested and dried, the variety of seaweed growing naturally on our shores also produces a surprising array of complex flavours.鈥
Discussing her journey with the company, Emma said: 鈥淚t has been exciting to be part of a growing company which has gained international success and is now the UK鈥檚 most innovative seaweed brand. The team at Mara has incredible expertise in nutrition and flavour, and my job involves turning our ideas into reality through the development of new products.鈥 Emma continued: 鈥淭here is so much to learn at Mara and I get to work with colleagues across the range of specialisms including harvesting, processing and marketing.
"Mara Seaweed鈥檚 mission is to nourish body and soul by harnessing goodness from the sea and bringing it directly into people鈥檚 kitchen. I love working with sustainable food ingredients which are healthy and nutritious, identifying gaps in the market and bringing new products to the marketplace."
Mara鈥檚 online shop offers an intriguing range of seaweed flavourings. Emma explained:
"Different varieties of seaweed produce different flavours. It鈥檚 great to work with the raw ingredients to identify their impact on taste and texture and to see how well they work when used in combination with different foods.聽"
鈥淥ur range of seasonings include dulse, kombu and sugar kelp flakes, whole leaf seaweeds such as kombu seaweed strips, as well as smoked and powdered products, which are both flavoursome and nutritious, particularly when added to different foods like sauces, dips, meats and cakes. Every day we focus on creative ways of delivering the health benefits of seaweed in a delicious and easy to use format, so we sell our
flavour enhancers in a variety of shakers, tubs and packets.鈥
Emma concluded: 鈥淎s our product range and brand grow, we see a rise in the number of people using our natural flavour enhancers as part of their essential everyday nutrition. It鈥檚 exhilarating to play a part in making the health benefits of seaweed accessible to a wider audience.鈥
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