Edible seaweed snacks: What is it?
Korean seaweed snack is a must-try and a must-have in your cupboard. Roasted seaweed snack! It might be new to you, but it’s been around for ages. The phrase “seaweed” refers to a variety of aquatic plants, algae, and vegetation. Seaweed can be found in lakes, rivers, and even the ocean.
The marine ecology depends on thousands of different varieties of seaweed. They support the survival of the food chain in the underwater environment by giving food and shelter to a variety of aquatic species. You may be wondering, “Is all seaweed edible?” Not quite, but there are a few types of seaweed that are.
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They include a number of vital nutrients, including vitamins and minerals. Seaweeds come in a variety of sizes, from tiny growths on rocks to vast, dense underwater forests.
In regions with extensive coastlines, they are used in a variety of meals, just like here in Korea. We have seaweed soup on our birthdays! Seaweed is considered to be a ‘superfood’.
But for this post, we will solely focus on crispy, roasted seaweed snacks also called Gim in Korean, and Nori in Japanese. These little rectangular sheets of salted seaweed are incredibly flavorful as well as nutritious for your child and you.
If there’s interest from my readers, I’ll throw in a few great recipes for seaweed soup in future postings. Here are some benefits for kids and adults alike.
Benefits of Eating roasted Seaweed snacks
- Supports thyroid function. Seaweed contains a lot of iodine & your thyroid needs this iodine to help with your energy levels, and reproductive system, & repair cells all over your body.
- Contains tons of vitamins & minerals: Vitamin A, C, E, & K, folate, calcium, zinc, magnesium & sodium if we’re being specific.
- Packed with antioxidants. Antioxidants neutralize free radical damage & are super good for your skin.
- High in fiber. Fiber, fiber, fiber! It’s a big theme with kids because it regulates bowel movements and reduces constipation.
- Can help reduce the risk of heart disease. Seaweed does this by decreasing cholesterol levels.
My favorite benefit is feeling full afterward combine that with all the vitamins & minerals & I’m obsessed. Also, shout out to Vitamin B12, which gives you energy. We have seaweed a few times a week at our home in the roasted seaweed snack version.
My son enjoys it because it’s slightly salty and crispy, he also wraps his white rice with it during meals.
Korean Seaweed snack! Yumz
The “seaweed snack” has captured people’s taste buds worldwide.
Seaweed was traditionally consumed as a side dish with cooked rice, but a new seaweed industry has been created as a result of the globalization of seaweed, which has led to the development of seaweed goods in the form of snacks that have different flavors added to them.
Visitors to Korea are told to try a variety of seaweed products, including dried seaweed (gim-jaban) and dried seaweed (gim bugak), as well as seasoned seaweed such as wasabi-flavored seaweed, kimchi-flavored seaweed, and bulgogi-flavored seaweed and more.
A global leader in gim exports
In Korea, “ginseng” or “kimchi” are recognized as the typical representative goods. However, did you realize that more “seaweed” than them is exported? Although China is the world leader in seaweed production, Korea is the world leader in seaweed exports.
According to export and import statistics provided by the Korea Customs Service, Korea’s seaweed exports first surpassed KRW 500 million in December 2017. The once-common side dish of seaweed has become a popular low-calorie healthy snack abroad and its exports make up roughly half of the domestic seaweed production.
Why Korean Roasted Seaweed Snack?
It’s nutritious and tasty! You can pack it in a lunch for the kids, or have it with a cold beer as a healthy snack.
Where can I buy some?
You can find it online. The best tasting is the Bibigo brand.
Are seaweed snacks safe for kids to eat?
Why are those crunchy Korean seaweed chips so popular with kids? First off, they are gross-green in color, crispy, and salty. Additionally, parents are more willing to allow youngsters to indulge since they view seaweed as an anti-chip.
Yes, Korean seaweed snacks are healthy for children. It is rich in iron, calcium, and magnesium; abundant in vitamins A, B, and C; has anti-inflammatory effects; and packs a lot of protein, fiber, and EPAs into each bite. Plus it has a healthy dose of dietary fiber with no artificial colors. Some brands have olive oil or sesame oil brushed on their products along with a pinch of salt and in many cases sea salt.
Some precautions to take.
Try to control your addiction to yummy roasted seaweed snacks if you have thyroid issues, so some who have illnesses related to their glands should keep their dried seaweed consumption to a minimum.
Conclusion
Lastly…don’t let the term ‘SEAWEED’ put you off. Premium Nori or Korean Kim or even Gim Bugak are all a must-try and a must-have in your cupboard. There are so many upsides to stacking some ‘Gim’ or ‘Nori’ in your cupboards at home. Some of these like the Bibigo Korean Seaweed snack version are individually packed. They are perfect for picnics, lunches, at home, or while having a beer+Netflix.
After living in South Korea for such a long time, I now see myself reaching for a little roasted gim a few times a week when my stomach is rumbling.
You can purchase large-size dried seaweed sheets and cut them at home, or buy the personal sizes. Either way, there is good reason for trying this ‘superfood’. Korean snacks, overall, will be getting more and more popular as the world reopens it’s just a matter of time until you have roasted seaweed snacks on your table at home.
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