Sunday, August 1, 2010

Karengo


Karengo
Closely related to Japanese nori and Welsh laver, the red seaweed karengo (Porphyra species) is a delicacy to Māori. Found growing on intertidal rocks on exposed coasts, karengo is picked and sun-dried in winter months. It keeps for a long time in a dry condition. When used in cooking the dried seaweed is steamed or simmered for 30 minutes.
Karengo is harvested from the Kaikoura Coastline in August and September and is common on the upper intertidal zone. A highly edible seaweed.

NZ Celery - Apium prostratum


This native plant grows in coastal regions and is an excellent culinary herb. It looks like Italian parsley but with bulkier leafs. The taste is crisp and intense- an ideal addition to a salad. Can be grown from seeds available from North Island company -
www.naturallynative.co.nz/culinary.php.
Note three other species below are also ideal native plants with excellent culinary values. I recently tried the NZ spinach as a garnish at Fleur's Place in Otago- great with seafood.

NZ Spinach - Tetragonia tetragonioides

Cook’s Scurvy Grass - Lepidium oleraceum

NZ Cress - Rorippa divaricata.

NZ Celery grows on many places on Bank's Penisula and along our coastal regions.