Caulerpa Seaweeds Salad Recipe

How to Cook Caulerpa Seaweeds Salad Recipe

Caulerpa lentillifera is one of the favored species of edible Caulerpa due to its soft and succulent texture. They are also known as sea grapes or green caviar. C. lentillifera is farmed in the Philippines, where it is locally called ar-arosep,lato,arosep or ar-arosip (as variant names), latok in the Malaysian state of Sabah, and in Okinawa where the plant is eaten fresh.
The pond cultivation of C. lentillifera has been very successful on Mactan Island, Cebu, in the central Philippines, with markets in Cebu and Manila. About 400 ha of ponds are under cultivation, producing 12–15 tonnes of fresh seaweed per hectare per year. C. lentillifera is also eaten in Okinawa, where it is known as umi-budō (海ぶどう?), meaning "sea grapes".
C. lentillifera is usually eaten raw with vinegar, as a snack or in a salad. In the Philippines, after being washed in clean water, it is usually eaten raw as a salad, mixed with chopped raw onions and fresh tomatoes, and dressed with a blend of fish sauce or fish paste (locally called bagoong) and vinegar. It is known to be rich in iodine.

Caulerpa Seaweeds Salad Recipe Ingredients:

2 cups fresh lato
1/4 cup onions, chopped
1/4 cup tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons spicy vinegar or calamansi juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, ground
1/2 teaspoon sugar(optional)
Procedures:
Wash lato thoroughly then drain. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
In a bowl, combine lato, onions and tomatoes.
In a small bowl, combine spicy vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar. Serve asdipping sauce or combine in lato salad.
Serve immediately top with sliced salted eggs or grated green mangoes.
Recipe Source here: http://filipinostylerecipe.com/2012/12/seaweeds-salad-lato/

Caulerpa lentillifera Description

Caulerpa lentillifera resembles bunches of little shiny grapes. The color of this seaweed ranges from bright green to bluish and at times olive green.  The plants are small and branches are erect.  The grape-like tiny spherical beads are tightly packed together on vertical stems to form a sausage like shape, which arise from long horizontal stems that creep over the ocean floor like strawberry runners.  These are able to grow quite long and produce many plants. The distinctive characteristic of Caulerpa lentillifera when compared to other Caulerpa species is that the stalk and globose tip (grape) are both constricted where they meet.  Caulerpa lentillifera grows quite well in a variety of environments, usually on substrate composed of coral rubble or rocks to over 50 meters deep, but also common in shallow, muddy lagoons.  It is generally found on sandy to mussy substrates on reef flats that are not exposed during low tides and where the water is generally calm.  It may form extensive beds or meadows in exceptionally good habitats.  Caulerpa lentillifera is stenohaline and cannot thrive in areas where salinity is less than 25%.  Salinities lower than 30% would already result in crop loss.  Growth of natural stocks in habitats where water becomes brackish during the rainy season, or those cultured in ponds, is highly seasonal. Caulerpa lentillifera cannot survive in fresh water.

Caulerpa Seaweeds Salad Recipe