Is Seaweed Easy to Digest?

Seaweed is not easy to digest. When eating seaweed, it is necessary to stew it well. Stewed seaweed is not only easy to digest and absorb, but also has the effect of lubricating the intestines and assisting defecation. Seaweed also contains a certain amount of iodine and vitamins, which are beneficial for enhancing physical fitness. However, if the seaweed is not stewed well, it may cause discomfort such as stomach bloat. Seaweed is not easy to cook soft because the alginate inside it is difficult to dissolve in clear water. However, this substance called alginate is very easy to dissolve in alkaline water. When encountering an appropriate amount of alkali, the alginate inside the seaweed will absorb water and expand to become soft. Therefore, according to this characteristic of alginate, we can put a little baking soda or edible alkali when cooking seaweed. The specific method is: boil half a pot of water in a frying pan, put the dried seaweed into the boiling water, and add a small spoonful of edible alkali at the same time. Since the alginate will expand after heating, after adding seaweed to the water, reduce the heat and stir the seaweed at any time to make it evenly heated up and down for about 5 minutes. Then take out the cooked seaweed and soak it in cold water, clean it, and then cut it into small strips for cooking. Alternatively, the dry steamed seaweed cleaning method can be used to open the clumped dry seaweed, put it into the steamer for about 20 minutes, and then take it out and wash it clean with water. The seaweed treated in this way will become crispy and tender, and is suitable for stewing, frying, or cold dressing. Or the method of cooking seaweed with vinegar, first clean the seaweed, and then add a small amount of vinegar when cooking. It only takes 15 minutes to make the seaweed soft quickly. This method is usually more suitable for making soup.