Seaweed Week

SEAWEED WEEK ON THE ISLE OF INIS MÓR, IRELAND

Discover with us the wonderful world of algae on the shores of the beautiful island of Inis Mór. Doctor and algae specialist Prannie Rhatigan will show us how to harvest the plants sustainably.

Depending on the level of the water we will find eight to ten different species of edible seaweed, get to know their names, and learn about the nutrients they contain.

In the comfortable kitchen of Joe’s house, we will prepare simple and tasty recipes with Prannie.

With Mairtin Concannon we will collect more algae, which will be dried in his drying facilities ready for us to take home.

There will also be time for nice walks through the exciting landscape of the island, to relax in the beautiful surroundings and to explore on your own.

More detailed tour information is given in the Itinerary Section.

Long ago Algae was known and used by our ancestors as a healthy food supplement, and still is today in Japan, China and along the coasts of North, Central and South America. Happily this sea vegetable is also regaining importance in Europe and not only for the increasingly popular sushi rolls!
The high nutritional value of edible algae makes it a popular choice for a healthy diet. Western medicine is currently investing in exploring the medicinal value of algae and some evidence exists for its usefulness in lowering blood pressure, purifying blood and protecting the stomach and guts. Antivirus, antibacterial and anticancer effects have also been proven.

In traditional Chinese medicine, seaweed is already used since over 5000 years. It is worth noting that the low rates of breast cancer in Japanese women is very low and Japan is the country with the largest consumption of this sea vegetable.

Prannie Rhatigan is a doctor and has been collecting algae and learning how to use them in the kitchen since childhood. Born in the North West of Ireland she became interested in the connection between food and health a long time ago. In 2009 her beautiful book “Irish Sea Weed Kitchen” was published. With over 150 old and new easy, delicious recipes it received wide acclaim in Ireland and abroad.

As a member of “Slow Food” she has represented Ireland at various events abroad. She regularly gives seminars and lectures on health and algae. Since the publication of her book she is almost overwhelmed with requests and I am very grateful that she agreed to work with us in this new and exciting program. www.prannie.com