This Pacific Northwest Company Is Turning Kelp Into Seasoning

A start-up company in the Pacific Northwest is turning bull kelp into something you can put on your food, according to Seattle-Pi.

Salish Sea Greens started selling their kelp-based seasonings at the end of last year, and co-founder Stephen Schreck says it tastes great.

“It has this umami, toasted, earthy flavor to it," he told reporters. A University of Washington graduate, Schreck is passionate about sustainable food sources and was looking for the next available one.

"As kelp grows, it creates this halo effect of higher water quality and kind of sweetens the water for creatures that produce calcium carbonate, like oysters," the co-founder explained.

The Bainbridge Island-based business also has another goal with their new spice. They're aiming to educate people on the importance of kelp in ecosystems. Kelp is one of the fastest-growing organisms on Earth and pulls in carbon dioxide as it grows.

There's also an extensive history of kelp being used as a food source. Native tribes in the Pacific Northwest used bull kelp to fertilize gardens, line steam cooking pits, and even create medicine.

“In the United States, we’re decades, even hundreds of years behind Asian countries in utilizing kelp as a food source, Schrek added.

Schrek and his business partner, Brandon Rake, encountered some problems while launching their business. They learned that kelp is actually threatened in Puget Sound, making it hard to obtain a permit to farm kelp. Until they can harvest kelp from more local areas, they're getting it from the coast of Vancouver Island.

They turn that kelp into four different seasoning mixes: original, curry, an Alderwood-smoked version of the original, and a mix of kelp and applewood smoked sea salt.

In the future, Rake and Schrek hope to incorporate other types of kelp into their business, such as alaria and winged kelp.

If you're interested in trying their products, you can check out their website, visit Crimson Cove Smoked Specialties in Poulsbo or drop by Bay Hay & Feed on Bainbridge Island.