Algae from Brittany

In Brittany, seaweed is as much a staple of the cuisine as herbs are elsewhere. It is harvested by hand from the rocks or from boats at low tide. What used to end up in the fields as fertilizer is now found in the cans and jars of preserves along the coast.

The most commonly harvested varieties are dulse, reddish with a nutty note; wakame, which remains tender and tastes slightly sweet; and kombu, which adds depth to a dish. In this collection, they appear in pesto, rillettes, soups, and spreads, and they all do the same thing: they bring salt and iodine without the need to add more salt.

The people who harvest seaweed in Brittany are called goémoniers. The profession is as old as the villages along this coast.

If you are new to seaweed, the best place to start is with the sardines in seaweed pesto or the mackerel rillettes on bread. If you already know it, try the Emiettés with wakame or kombu, where the seaweed is paired with red curry, kumquat, and mandarin zest.