A lot of people think I'm coming to the tide pools to harvest mussels or oysters. 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.
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.
The dried seaweed is packed into vacuum-sealed bags that can be safely delivered to chefs.
There's also intensive seaweed processing after the harvest, which includes cleaning the plants by hand, handwashing the seaweed in fresh water and salt water, and drying out handmade seaweed nests on racks for two days.
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