Bon Appétit declared 2012 as “the year of kale,” and now kale has permeated every corner of the food landscape, from Walmart and McDonald’s to upscale restaurants. The quest is now on for the next trendy ingredient—could it be kelp or seaweed? These “ocean garden” varieties possess the qualities to become the new kale. They are nutritious, uniquely flavored, and versatile. Like kale, they could potentially spark a significant transformation in the food industry, driven by innovation (with seaweed snacks already available at major retailers) and increased production.
As consumers lean more towards plant-based options, sea vegetables are ideally positioned to meet this demand. Shoppers are also pursuing superfoods, and both algae and seaweed fit this category perfectly. Furthermore, consumers are becoming increasingly aware of environmental sustainability concerning their food choices. An EU report highlighted that around 90% of the world’s fish stocks are significantly depleted, urging exploration into alternative harvesting methods, including sea greens.
These factors have fueled growth in food and beverage launches that feature products such as algae, dulse, kelp, kombu, Irish moss, and other sea vegetables, according to Food Ingredients First. The seaweed market, for instance, is projected to exceed $22 billion by 2024, rising from approximately $10 billion in 2015. However, the challenge lies in keeping pace with this demand, which spans not only the food sector but also pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and animal feed.
One potential hurdle is overcoming the “ick” factor that American consumers often associate with products like kelp or algae. Nevertheless, several kelp-based snacks are already present in the market, often in familiar forms such as kelp chips and algae wafers. The availability of these ingredients in recognizable applications could facilitate quicker consumer acceptance of kelp. Additionally, some of these products, such as seaweed, have been staples in Asian cuisine for centuries, which may aid their integration as global food trends evolve.
While kale benefited from unique marketing strategies that propelled its rapid rise, ocean vegetables still have a considerable journey ahead before achieving similar widespread popularity. However, as consumers are increasingly exposed to diverse foods and educated about their benefits, their palates are likely to become more sophisticated and open to new tastes. If relatively bland kale can find its place in the culinary world, perhaps kelp can too.
Moreover, as discussions around nutrition intensify, questions arise such as “is calcium citrate safe?” Understanding the safety and health benefits of various ingredients, including sea vegetables, will also play a critical role in fostering consumer acceptance and enthusiasm in the coming years.