Researchers were able to produce a variety of seaweed that taste like bacon. What made the bacon tasting seaweed better is the fact that it is twice as healthy as Kale.
The researchers based in Oregon came up with a new seaweed strain that mimics the taste of bacon, according to CNBC's report. The seaweed belongs to the family of red marine algae which has a translucent red appearance. One of the best advantages of the bacon tasting seaweed is that it grows rapidly, and it is twice as healthy as kale, making a healthy replacement for bacon.
The Oregon based researcher, Chris Langdon together with his team accidentally came across the bacon tasting seaweed. They originally produced the seaweed strain, which is prominent along the coastlines of the Pacific and Atlanic as food consumption for edible snails called abalone, that they also culture. Abalone is being served as a popular dish on most Asian countries, thus high supply is in demand.
Langdon's co-researcher, Chuck Toombs was able to get a glimpse of the bacon-like seaweed. At first he doesn't have any idea what it taste like, but then he decided to give it a try. After seeing the potential in the bacon tasting seaweed, Toombs partnered with Oregon University's Food Innovation Center wherein they discovered that the sea weed tasted like bacon once fried.
"This stuff is pretty amazing," Langdon said. "When you fry it, which I have done, it tastes like bacon, not seaweed. And it's a pretty strong bacon flavor."
Though the bacon like sea weed didn't fail to disappoint the researchers with its taste, it is still unclear as to whether they would place it on the market or not. According to the Oregon State University, Langdon grows around 20 to 30 pounds of seaweeds per week, but he and his team are planning to increase their production.
