You do know that the dark stuff wrapped around the sushi rice is seaweed, right? 

The Scoop on Seaweed

You know what the sea is. And you know what a weed is — those pesky plants that grow and grow and overrun any garden you try to maintain unless you remove them consistently. Doesn’t matter if you’re growing cherry tomatoes or roses — weeds will crop up and take your precious plants’ water, space, and nutrients from the soil, unless you get rid of them first. So seaweed must be the pesky plant of the sea, right?

Wrong.

Seaweed is important.

What is seaweed?

Imagine you had a fancy doll — maybe a china doll or an American Girl doll. It has adorable clothing and accessories, beautiful hair and delicate details. You take care of it very carefully. Now imagine someone calls it a regular doll, just like your baby sister’s limp, scruffy rag dolls. They might both be dolls, but you can’t really compare them.

Just like there are different kinds of dolls, seaweeds are one big name for many species. They might all be marine plants (water plants), but there are so many different kinds, and they’re all different from each other. And they grow not just in the sea, but in rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water, too.

Some kinds are tiny, microscopic; others are enormous, growing like huge trees in forests, in the ocean. Most are medium-sized. Seaweed can be red, brown, green, or black. They have different names and different qualities and grow in different kinds of waters and at different depths. And unlike their land-growing namesake, which are considered nuisances, seaweeds are absolutely essential to the health of our oceans. Seaweeds serve as food and as homes for many ocean creatures, and not only that, they benefit people, too. Not just in sushi! Seaweed has been used to heal people for thousands of years; the ancient Romans used seaweed to treat wounds, burns and rashes, and there is evidence that suggests that the ancient Egyptians used them for healing, too. They somehow discovered that many kinds of seaweed contain healing properties such as anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial agents. (Anti-inflammatory means something that can help fix swelling, redness, and pain in the body, and anti-microbial means something that kills harmful things like bacteria and mold so they can’t make you sick.) Seaweed is being researched for powerful cancer-fighting agents; scientists hope that they will be able to harness these powers to eventually help cure sick people. Not only that, but seaweeds are also being used as binding agents, also known as emulsifiers, in products like toothpaste. Seaweed is even being used in specialized, organic skin care products. By now it should be no surprise to you to learn that seaweed is bursting with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. And many of the edible varieties can be tasty, too!

So seaweed, far from being a weed, is a helpful and amazing plant. But how does it get from its ocean home to your table?