My Monthly Column
Like billions of people around the world, I too had my plans of travelling scuppered in 2020. It was the sacrifice of my first trip to Japan that was the killer blow; and why, unlike the other writers at Traverse, I have never visited Japan. Indeed, they too have far more credibility when it comes to writing about Japanese culture than I.
But what if my column included me collecting elements of Japanese culture at home? What if I was able to travel around Japan using just one of my five senses, taste? Eureka!
Once a month I will be writing about Japanese food & drink. But Instead of writing about the usual (think sushi, sashimi, ramen, etc.) I will lean more towards the obscure and the unfamiliar.
Where I can, I will buy and taste the items I am writing about so that you, my dear readers, can hear an honest foodie's opinion. Maybe you will discover something new to try, or maybe you will wonder at the diversity of food in Japan. If anything I hope to learn about Japanese culture myself and, in turn, maybe you will too.
(Source - my digital camera)
Introducing Umi Budo
Umi Budo (or Caulerpa Lentillifera in Latin) is a type of seaweed with many names. In Japanese it literally translates as “sea grapes”, but it is also referred to as “green caviar”, “vegan caviar” and “longevity seaweed”. Its Japanese name comes from the fact that its leaves look like tiny clusters of grapes.
The seaweed is indigenous to Indo-Asia. Yes, it is available in Japan, but it also has much older links to Cebu in the Philippines, where it was first cultivated in the 1950s. It wasn’t until the 1980s that it became popular in Okinawa, a Japanese archipelago in the East China Sea, known for its tropical climate, broad beaches and wide coral reefs.
Having recently heard about this Japanese farmed delicacy from a friend, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try something that has the nickname “vegan caviar”. Not only because I get weak at the knees whenever I even get a whiff of caviar, but, at the time of writing, I am attempting ‘Veganuary’.
The conditions were perfect. So I decided to scour the internet to find some to purchase.
(Source - my own Ebay account)
Tracking It Down
Umi Budo is not easy to find. Even if it does grow in a number of other different countries’ waters, such as Vietnam and The Philippines.
After a few failed attempts on unusual websites that stated it was “out of stock”, I finally found some dehydrated for under £15 (fresh, it doesn’t last so long).
So I thought: “why not?” and made the purchase. I was then met with an immediate feeling of paranoia that I’d been scammed. But I was wrong. Within a few weeks it had arrived.
(Source - my digital camera)
Tasting Vegan Caviar
Having rehydrated it in a saucer of cold water, I picked each seaweed strand with my chopsticks; then dunked in soy sauce, mirin and Japanese vinegar, before tasting the little pearls.
Wow! I can see why ‘Okinawans’ like this so much. It’s delicious. It’s salty yet slightly ‘perfumey’ and each ‘sea grape’ explodes like caviar in the mouth. The Japanese describe this sensation with the onomatopoeic phrase: “Puchi Puchi”. It is everything that you could want in a bar snack. Which, incidentally, is exactly how I would serve it.
Within about 30 mins, my fiancé and I had finished the whole lot. And it tasted particularly good when washed down with beer (beer pairs well with salty flavours)!
However, I would caveat this success by saying just one thing: it won’t be for everyone. Umi Budo is slimy, unfamiliar and tastes like the sea; think of oysters or caviar.
But if, like me, you love these things, then here is your vegan, plant-based alternative.
(Source - Unsplash)
It’s packed full of health benefits
The more research I’ve done on its health benefits, the more reasons I’ve found for eating it.
Not only is it rich in protein and minerals like: phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, and copper, but it contains vitamins A, C, E, and some amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin. And, like most seaweeds, it has a high level of iodine.
‘Okinawans’ believe that it has powerful health benefits and anti-aging qualities. And we should probably listen to them. As for every 100,000 inhabitants, Okinawa has 68 centenarians (people over the age of 100). This is more than three times the numbers found in US populations of the same size.
Even by the standards of Japan, ‘Okinawans’ are remarkable. They have a 40% greater chance of living to 100 than other people in Japan.
But, as you’d expect, it is nigh on impossible to link Umi Budo to this directly. What is fact is it’s a great source of plant-based protein for people on alternative diets.
Animal models have also shown that sea grapes can have a cardiovascular protective effect due to their phenolic compound and antioxidants content. And consuming seaweed regularly may also help in weight loss and regulate cholesterol levels.
So is Umi Budo the elixir of long life? Hmm… if anything it’s the perfect example of Apophenia - the tendency to perceive meaningful connections between unrelated things. But what is true for me, is it’s a sumptuous new dish to add to my hors d'oeuvres repertoire… if I can get my hands on some again.