Sea Grapes

Also known asUmibudo · Green Caviar · Caulerpa lentillifera · 海葡萄

Name: Sea grapes, also called umibudo in Japanese and lato in the Philippines (Caulerpa lentillifera) — a green seaweed with tiny, round, translucent beads that look like clusters of grapes or caviar, and which pop in the mouth.

Description

Sea grapes grow in shallow, warm, sheltered waters in the Pacific, including Okinawa in Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia. They are a traditional food in these regions, and are known in Okinawa as “green caviar.” They are now cultivated in ponds in the Philippines, Vietnam and Japan.

The beads are crisp and juicy, with a clean, salty-fresh taste of the sea and a satisfying pop. They are eaten raw and fresh with a dipping vinegar or as a salad, and do not keep well, as they wilt in fresh water or the fridge.

Main nutrition value

Sea grapes are very low in calories, and provide small amounts of iodine, calcium, iron and fibre, and a lot of water.

How best to be consumed

Sea grapes are eaten raw, fresh and chilled.

1. Rinse briefly in cold fresh water just before serving, and drain well.
2. Serve with soy-based or vinegar dipping sauce, as in Okinawan cuisine.
3. Add to salads, sushi, sashimi and noodle dishes.
4. Do not soak long or refrigerate in fresh water, since they shrivel and lose their pop.
5. Store at cool room temperature in their brine, and eat soon after buying.

Overconsumption could cause…

Sea grapes are safe in food amounts, with iodine and hygiene as the main points.

1. Too much iodine, which can disrupt thyroid function, so heavy or regular intake is not advised for people with thyroid conditions, and in pregnancy a limit applies.
2. Heavy metals such as cadmium, lead and arsenic, which seaweed can absorb from seawater, so buy from reputable sources and do not eat large amounts every day.
3. Food poisoning risk from raw seafood, so buy fresh, clean sea grapes from a reputable source.
4. High sodium in some dried and seasoned sea vegetable products.

GroupsSea VegetablesSeaweed and algaeJapaneseFresh

Related foodsHijikiKombuNoriWakameDulseKelp

Wikipedia — Caulerpa lentillifera, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caulerpa_lentillifera