#Lato seaweed

[mistjosefvandanger]

Lato seaweed

[filipinofoodart]

If you love Lato, thank a seaweed farmer!

https://filipinofood.art.blog/portfolio/lato/

[philippinewildlifeart]

Did you know one Lato is made up of only one single cell? That's a BIG cell!

Your red blood cell for example is around 8 micrometers. That means if I divided one meter into 8 million pieces, each piece would be the size of your red blood cell!

But Lato, a delicious seaweed found in our coastal habitats, are single-celled organisms. One of the biggest in the world!

Learn more, with sources:

https://philippinewildlifeart.wordpress.com/portfolio/lato/

Malipayong adlaw ng dagat! Happy World Oceans Day (June 8) and Coral Triangle Day (June 9)!

[vhidalynnlaurea-blog]

Caulerpa lentillifera: grapes of the orient seas

             I recall my first encounter with this particular type of seaweed: it had been a weekday when my family and I went out to dine in an eat-all-you-can restaurant. I was starting to get 'umay' of the food and my dad may have noticed this because the next thing I knew, he set a plate of this weird looking food that strangely resembled a bunch of alien antennae attached to a stalk, in front of me. Truth be told, what I saw and smelt repulsed me.  It was something I'd see myself playing with (perhaps with gloves), squishing the smelly succulent spherical beads like bubble wrap; not something I'd put into my mouth, chew, and swallow.

             Nevertheless, despite my internal debate, I still tried the peculiar-looking food because I was raised with the "don't say you dislike it without trying it first" mindset engraved to the very depths of my brain. It smelled and tasted pungent as hell; it felt as if I was eating fish handed to me as soon as it was freed from the sea. I was told to dip it in vinegar and lemon so it doesn't taste as strong. It did minimize how salty and fishy it was but what astounded me was how it wiped the 'umay' away as flavorful bursts of the sea coupled with freshness brought by the lemon and vinegar cleansed my palate and left me feeling like I was ready to devour the other half of my body weight as I imagine myself on a hammock several meters away from the seashore, sipping on fresh coconut juice and enjoying the cool sea breeze. 

              It was later on that I found out what the alien-antennae looking food was actually called.  Scientifically known as Caulerpa lentillifera, “lato” or “sea grapes”  is actually favored out of the several species of edible Caulerpa due to its soft and succulent texture, which kind of explains why you’d often see this kind of seaweed being served in seafood restaurants. C. lentillifera is a species of  Bryopsidales green algae that is farmed and eaten in the Philippines, particularly in Coron, Palawan where it is abundant. This seaweed could be found growing in intertidal zones close to mangroves; a site common in Palawan. 

              After harvesting, lato is washed clean and is usually eaten raw. However, you could have it in different ways; either dipped in vinegar and lemon (like how I had it) or served Ensalada style.  

              Anyway, it still offers the same nutritional benefits. According to the Seaweed Industry Association, lato is high in vitamin A, C, and several essential unsaturated fatty acids. It is also rich in vitamin K and iodine, as stated in slism.com where a breakdown of lato’s nutritional facts could be seen. A study by Bhesh Raj Sharma and Dong Young Rhyu published last 2014 entitled “Anti-diabetic effects of Caulerpa lentillifera: stimulation of insulin secretion in pancreatic β-cells and enhancement of glucose uptake in adipocytes”  said that Caulerpa lentillifera could potentially be an anti-diabetic agent because of its ability to enhance the secretion of insulin. Categorized as a diet-friendly food, having this salad regularly would do more good than harm to your body. 

             Looking back to that very fateful day I tried sea grapes, I never would have thought that I would get to write about them. May it be fate or pure coincidence, either way I’m glad to have shared such an experience and the impact it left on me. Until we meet again, Caulerpa lentillifera.

[suchananewsblog]

Seaweed is the latest superfood spicing up Indian fine dining, in dishes from soups and salads to jhaal muri and cocktails

Ulva. Padina.  Sargassum swartzii. What might seem like alien gibberish is a trio that would do us a whole lot of good to get acquainted with. For they very well might be the foods of the future. Also known as ‘sea lettuce’, ‘sea fan’ and ‘sea holly’, respectively, they are just three of over 800 species of seaweed found abundantly in the waters along India’s 7,516 km coastline. Sustainable…

[abernathy]

Have you ever been so excited to eat fresh seaweeds, that you forgot to cut them up and figured, meh.. I’ll just eat ‘em like this! 😄 #Seaweeds #Lato https://www.instagram.com/p/CGlk-WEH_9_/?igshid=du5ttepzb8ds

[adhor]

SEAWEED ka ba? Kasi I can’t SEAWEED out you. #banatADOR #seaweed #lato #catbalogancity #karasakatbalogan #captivatingcatbalogan #seafood (at Catbalogan, Samar) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0TM6o4BcCB/?igshid=b4mvjp3qay78

[leztat15]

Seaweed salad.. wow #seaweed #seaweedsalad #arorosep #lato #freshfromthesea #salad #likeforlikes #likeforfollow #like4likes #vacation #foods #philippines https://www.instagram.com/p/BtSpIFKHfrZASoU4AbPk3rWToxPSasWNmrQ8t00/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=4dt4sz4ytai6

[vanjee-blog1]

Seafood Encounters

Sundays have always been my favorite part of the week. Whether its solemn or sunshiny, it still gives me that fresh Sunday vibe. My family has gotten the habit of going to the beach on Sundays and have meals by the shore. What makes it more interesting is that we get to eat freshly made seafoods and enjoy the beach at the same time.

My family and I have always loved the taste of seafoods. It’s like a break from all those oily meats and unhealthy foods and cooking over the week. It’s fresh raw taste gives such a wholesome feeling to your taste buds. Seafoods are a hit here in Mindanao. Since flee markets are famous in this area, these types of seafood stuffs can be easily bought in those markets or you can even get it by yourself, that is if your knowledgeable and skilled enough to do it. With Sundays reserved as a rest day for the family, along with fresh seafoods just around the corner, I say it would be a great day for some edible marine fish and shellfish.

We mostly settle for the famous “tuyom” and “swake” mix, this includes seaweeds, sea veggies. There’s a lot of sea plants which can be eaten by humans, but we would only settle for the common and to what is available in the area. That would be “guso” and “lato”. 

Both of these sea plants are commonly eaten by people in our area, since they are probably the safest to eat or they are what is easily accessed. “Guso” or Eucheuma looks like a tree branch only it is soft and green which gives a salty and a little bit of sour taste, that is perfect when mixed with sour vinegar alongside “lato” or Caulerpa lentillifera .

Looks like grapes, only it grows in the sea and it’s quite smaller in size than the grapes we usually sea. Like “guso” it is also green and soft and has that salty sour taste. It’s grapey fruit pops in the mouth when you eat giving you that tingly feeling every time you eat it. “Tuyom” and “swake” are types of edible sea urchins, obviously there are a lot of sea urchins in the sea but these two are the most common and the more accessible urchins in the area. 

“Tuyom” is a black urchin which has long pointy spikes that can be very painful when touched. It has this salty bland taste which is perfect when “swake” is mixed in. “Swake” looks quite like “tuyom”, only it has shorter spikes that makes it safer for you to pick up using bare hands. As for how it tastes, it has this sweet salty flavor that would go perfectly with just about anything.

Just in case you would want to try our family favorite; in making the mix, you’ll need to have the most basic spices which we like to call “lamas”. It would include freshly cut red onions, some onion leaves, tomato, salt, a bit of msg, and sour vinegar. After having the spices, you can then mix them together without a particular order as long as you have everything that is mentioned. Next up are the “guso” and “lato”, before putting it in the spice mix, you need to wash them properly with water and then just put it in the mix right after. Those were just the easy parts, now here comes the hard one. Both the “swake” and “tuyom” have the same way of preparation. First, you’ll need a basin of sea water, it is what you use to wash the “tuyom” after you open it to remove its insides. Second, you’ll need a knife to cut it open. A spoon and of course a bowl to put the edible parts. How to spot the edible parts? It’s easy, the moment you wash away the insides you’ll see something yellowish sticking on the sides of its shell. You can use the spoon to gather up everything. After that you can then add them to the mix.

Everything is set up, you can then enjoy your freshly made “tuyom” and “swake” mix with your friends and family. Trust me when I say they are the best on Sundays. So, what are you waiting for?  Go ahead and experience my kind of seafood encounters.

[chocnuts]

Fresh Lato or Seaweed.💚

[filipinofoodart]

Ensaladang itlog na maalat can be as simple as itlog na maalat or salted egg mixed with sliced tomatoes. Throw in any number of ingredients to add dimension to this simple yet satisfying salad. Some add pako or vegetable fern, in the Visayas and Mindanao lato or seaweed are tossed in while enjoying sinugbang isda or inihaw na isda. Others add olive oil, capers… the list goes on! Earliest recordings of salted eggs are in ancient Chinese texts dating back to the 6th century! How do you like your ensaladang itlog na maalat? Artprint: https://society6.com/product/itlog-maalat-or-salted-egg-salad-with-baybayin-filipino-food-art_mini-art-print

[philippinewildlifeart]

Malipayong adlaw ng dagat! Happy World Oceans Day (June 8) and Coral Triangle Day (June 9)!

Today we meet Lato, a seaweed that grows in or near seagrass and coral reef habitats, and provides livelihood for many Filipinos.

Lato and other seaweed are “algae” or simple organisms that make their food with the help of the sun. And they taste good as food too!

Learn more: https://philippinewildlifeart.wordpress.com/portfolio/lato/

[latinboxsports]

A special personal boodle fight surprise for the Husband who’s a HUGE FAN of @mannypacquiao MP Figure made out of rice & seaweed, we have grilled chicken, shrimps, sea grapes (Lato), the ever famous spicy vinegar dip, tomatoes & mango with bagoong! Yasss! 🥊 Kain na! 🍚 🎶 Para sa’yo ang Boodle na ‘to! 🎶 Photo credits: @cupsofrice (at Los Angeles, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRhKhOnLfz4/?utm_medium=tumblr

[adhor]

LATO ka ba? Kasi obvious na, LATOS ka na! #banatADOR #lato #seaweed #catbalogancity #karasakatbalogan #captivatingcatbalogan #food #seafood #foodie #foodporn #foodgasm #foodstagram #foodology #foodphotography #foodphotographer #foodlover (at Catbalogan, Samar) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv_zvqSn_Fv/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1oaxy7gu3p0cc

[lagawsabuklod]

Pastil, or pastel, is a Filipino packed rice dish made with steamed rice wrapped in banana leaves with dry shredded beef, chicken, or fish. It originates from the Maguindanao people and is a popular, cheap breakfast meal in Mindanao, especially among Muslim Filipinos (Wikipedia). In General Santos City, they included two side dishes – kinilaw na pipino with lato (cucumber with seaweed salad) and ginisa nga talong (sautéed eggplant). The menu has a high demand during nighttime, especially on the East Roxas Avenue. It will satisfy your tummy since its only 5 pesos each pack. It’s good to pair with a Coke Sakto and your night is complete with your friends or loved ones. #pastel #pastil #generalsantoscity #food #delicacy #mindanao #travel #trip #bacolod #streetfood #recipes #recipes #nighttime #lagawsabuklod #cheapfood www.lagawsabuklod.com (at Roxas Avenue, General Santos City) https://www.instagram.com/p/CBS0kAYHay8/?igshid=1an6x4am7j8m7

[iammissesjane]

Fresh Lato (Seaweed) Salad. Happy sunday.🥗🍴#esjanesnaps #esjaneskitchen #seaweedsalad #foodstagram #filipinofood #foodporn (at Marikina City) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_tol2SJLk6/?igshid=1iap8peh4zc0r