The next kale could be an edible seaweed called dulse “that is highly nutritious and, when cooked, has a savory flavor that some describe as tasting like bacon,” says the Salem Statesman Journal. “The challenge is finding ways to incorporate such an unfamiliar ingredient into products that consumers will try and like.”
Dulse is the brainchild of researchers at Oregon State University, who say the tide pools of the Pacific Coast would be ideal for growing the vegetable. Their work focuses on a mutated strain of dulse which “looks like red leaf lettuce — purplish-red in color with a translucent quality, but with a thicker consistency akin to leather.”
Craig Langdon, who developed the dulse, says it is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, and contains up to 16 percent protein by weight. Dried dulse sells for a premium price at upscale grocery stores. Seaweed is common in the diet of people living along coastlines. Food scientist Jason Ball experimented with introducing dulse into familiar foods, such as crackers, salad dressing and trail mix, rather than asking consumers to eat an unfamiliar item. One result is a salad dressing made with dulse that went on sale at stores run by a Portland grocery chain in January.