Humans have a long history of cultivating seaweeds for their uses. In recent years, seaweed farming has become a global agricultural practice, providing food, source material for various chemical uses (such as carrageenan), cattle feed and fertilizers. Due to their importance in marine ecologies and for absorbing carbon dioxide, recent attention has been on cultivating seaweeds as a potential climate change mitigation strategy for biosequestration of carbon dioxide, alongside other benefits like nutrient pollution reduction, increased habitat for coastal aquatic species, and reducing local ocean acidification. The IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate recommends "further research attention" as a mitigation tactic.

"Seaweed" lacks a formal definition, but seaweed generally lives in the ocean and is visible to the naked eye. The term refers to both flowering plants submerged in the ocean, like eelgrass, as well as larger marine algae. Generally, it is one of several groups of multicellular algae; red, green and brown. They lack one common multicellular ancestor, forming a polyphyletic group. In addition, blue-green algae (Cyanobacteria) are occasionally considered in seaweed literature. The number of seaweed species is still a topic of discussion among scientists, but it is most likely that there are several thousand species of seaweed.

Seaweed farming or kelp farming is the practice of cultivating and harvesting seaweed. In its simplest form farmers gather from natural beds, while at the other extreme farmers fully control the crop's life cycle. The seven most cultivated taxa are Eucheuma spp., Kappaphycus alvarezii, Gracilaria spp., Saccharina japonica, Undaria pinnatifida, Pyropia spp., and Sargassum fusiforme. Eucheuma and K. alvarezii are attractive for carrageenan (a gelling agent); Gracilaria is farmed for agar; the rest are eaten after limited processing. Seaweeds are different from mangroves and seagrasses, as they are photosynthetic algal organisms and are non-flowering.

Seaweed is also commonly foraged from shoreline and shore cliff sites. The most commonly foraged and consumed seaweed in the UK and Ireland are described in this site's guide to edible seaweed.

Seaweed is consumed across the world, particularly in East Asia, e.g., Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan and Southeast Asia, e.g. Brunei, Singapore, Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia, as well as in South Africa, Belize, Peru, Chile, the Canadian Maritimes, Scandinavia, South West England, Ireland, Wales, Hawaii and California, and Scotland.

Gim (김, Korea), nori (海苔, Japan) and zicai (紫菜, China) are sheets of dried Porphyra used in soups, sushi or onigiri (rice balls). Gamet in the Philippines, from dried Pyropia, is also used as a flavouring ingredient for soups, salads and omelettes. Chondrus crispus ('Irish moss' or carrageenan moss) is used in food additives, along with Kappaphycus and Gigartinoid seaweed. Porphyra is used in Wales to make laverbread [bara lafwr, cy] (sometimes with oat flour). In northern Belize, seaweed is mixed with milk, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla to make "dulce" ("sweet").

Alginate, agar and carrageenan are gelatinous seaweed products collectively known as hydrocolloids or phycocolloids. Hydrocolloids are food additives. The food industry exploits their gelling, water-retention, emulsifying and other physical properties. Agar is used in foods such as confectionery, meat and poultry products, desserts and beverages and moulded foods. Carrageenan is used in salad dressings and sauces, dietetic foods, and as a preservative in meat and fish, dairy items and baked goods.

Not only are seaweed foraged, they are now also becoming increasingly commercially available, from dried seaweed like Japanese nori available in sheets to powdered bladderwrack used as health supplements. They are also sold as seasoning blends like French Quatre Algues or Seaweed Salt sold as a low-sodium alternative to ordinary table or sea salt.

The alphabetical list of all the seaweed-based recipes on this site follows, (limited to 100 recipes per page). There are 117 recipes in total:

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Bara Ceirch Lafwr Sych (Dried Laver Oatcakes)      Origin: Welsh	Dulse Soda Bread      Origin: Ireland	Peli bara lawr, perlysiau a lemwn gyda saws iogwrt (Laverbread, Herb and Lemon Balls with Yoghurt Sauce)      Origin: Welsh
Bara Lawr (Laver Bread)      Origin: Welsh	Eog Wedi Crasu Gyda Bara Lawr â Chaws (Baked Salmon with Laver Bread and Cheese)      Origin: Welsh	Pesto Bara Lawr a Garlleg Gwyllt (Laverbread and Wild Garlic Pesto)      Origin: Welsh
Bara Lawr (Laverbread)      Origin: Welsh	Filedi Pysgod a Chaws Pob (Fish Fillet Rarebit)      Origin: Welsh	Pesto Gwymon (Seaweed Pesto)      Origin: Welsh
Barbecued Spiral Wrack Capers      Origin: Britain	Fish Terrine      Origin: Britain	Petalonia Croquettes      Origin: Britain
Barra Dulse      Origin: Scotland	Fruit Salad with Kirsched Sea Spaghetti      Origin: Ireland	Pice Tatws, Cocos a Bara Lawr (Potato, Cockle and Laverbread Patties)      Origin: Welsh
Black Mustard Flowers, Mushroom and Seaweed Soup      Origin: Britain	Fukusazushi      Origin: Japan	Pickled Bladderwrack      Origin: Britain
Bladderwrack Soup      Origin: Britain	Ganmodoki (Fried Tofu Patties)      Origin: Japan	Pickled Dulse      Origin: Britain
Brecwast Abertawe (Swansea Breakfast)      Origin: Welsh	Gingko Rice      Origin: Fusion	Pickled Kelp      Origin: Britain
Brecwast Bara Lawr (Laver Bread Breakfast)      Origin: Welsh	Golwyth Bacwn, Bara Lawr a Chocos (Bacon Chop with Laver Bread and Cockles)      Origin: Welsh	Pickled Kombu      Origin: Japan
Brithyll wedi'i serio gyda Stwnsh Bara Lawr, Samffir, Sbigoglys a Phys (Seared Trout with Laver Mash, Samphire, Spinach and Peas)      Origin: Welsh	Good Luck Chilli Biscuits      Origin: Fusion	Pickled Oarweed with Ginger and Chilli      Origin: Britain
Brown Rice with Kombu      Origin: Ireland	Gratin Tatws a Bara Lawr (Potato and Laverbread Gratin)      Origin: Welsh	Pickled Sea Lettuce      Origin: Britain
Bruschetta Bara Lawr Brecwast (Breakfast Laverbread Bruschetta)      Origin: Welsh	Gutweed Salad with Fennel and Orange      Origin: Britain	Pickled Serrated Wrack      Origin: Britain
Buttered Petalonia      Origin: Britain	Gwymon Codog wedi Stemio (Steamed Bladderwrack)      Origin: Welsh	Pit-roasted Pig      Origin: Ancient
Byrger cig oen a bara lawr gydag awch iogwrt â mintys (Lamb and Laverbread Burger with Yoghurt and Mint Relish)      Origin: Welsh	Home-made Ikura (Marinated Salmon Roe)      Origin: Japan	Pork and Seaweed Pie with Potato Crust      Origin: England
Byrgers Bara Lawr (Laver Bread Burgers)      Origin: Welsh	Honey-roasted Sea Lettuce      Origin: Britain	Pwdin Berw Bara Lawr (Laverbread Suet Pudding)      Origin: Welsh
Cake sarrasin au blé noir, aux (Savoury cake with buckwheat, seaweed and trout)      Origin: France	Ichiban Dashi (Basic Japanese Soup Stock)      Origin: Japan	Quatre Algues (Four-seaweed blend)      Origin: France
Carrageen Chocolate Jelly      Origin: Ireland	Iraqi Adana Kebab      Origin: Iraq	Rwlâd Bara Lawr (Laverbread Roulade)      Origin: Welsh
Carragheen and Wild Cherry Mousse      Origin: Britain	JRamene (Ramen)      Origin: Japan	Salad Gwydrwymon gyda Ffenigl ac Oren (Gutweed Salad with Fennel and Orange)      Origin: Welsh
Cawl Bara Lawr (Laver Soup)      Origin: Welsh	Kelp Flour      Origin: Britain	Saws Bara Lawr (Laverbread Sauce)      Origin: Welsh
Cawl Cennin a Dilysg (cawl-cennin-dilysg)      Origin: Welsh	Korean Instant Mild Curry Powder      Origin: Korea	Sea Moss Jellies      Origin: Anglo-Indian
Cawl Cocos gyda Draenogiad y Môr wedi Ysmygu dros Fwg Derw (Cockle Broth with Oak-smoked Sea Bass)      Origin: Welsh	Macrell wedi'i Grilio gyda Phiwrî Ffa a Garlleg a Iogwrt Bara Lawr (Mackerel Grilled with Broad Bean Puree, Garlic and Laver Bread Yoghurt)      Origin: Welsh	Sea Spaghetti alla Bolognese      Origin: Fusion
Char-grilled Seaweed Ice Cream with Wasabi      Origin: Britain	Maelgi Rhost a Saws Bara Lawr (Roast Monkfish and Laverbread Sauce)      Origin: Welsh	Sea Spaghetti and Carrot Salad      Origin: Ireland
Cig oen bys a bawd gyda saws bara lawr (Lamb Finger Food with Laverbread Sauce)      Origin: Welsh	Mallow Cheese with Seaweed Paste      Origin: Fusion	Sea Spaghetti with Garlic and Butter      Origin: Ireland
Cig Oen gyda Saws Bara Lawr Llysieuog (Lamb with Herby Laverbread Sauce)      Origin: Welsh	Miyeok Julgi Bokkeum (Korean Kelp Stem Accompaniment)      Origin: Korea	Sea Spaghetti with Summer Truffles      Origin: Ireland
Cocos Penclawdd gyda Pasta Penne a Saws Gwin gyda Garlleg Gwyllt a Bara Lawr (Penclawdd Cockles with Penne Pasta and a Wild Garlic and Laverbread Wine Sauce)      Origin: Welsh	Naengi-guk (Shepherd's Purse Soup)      Origin: Korea	Seaweed Flour Biscuits      Origin: Britain
Confit d'Algue (Confit of Seaweed)      Origin: France	Niban Dashi (Stock For Vegetables and Dipping Sauces)      Origin: Japan	Seaweed Relish      Origin: Britain
Cornish Crab Chowder      Origin: England	Nori-nettle Gomasio      Origin: Britain	Seaweed Ribollita      Origin: Fusion
Dried Kombu      Origin: Japan	Nori-wrapped Mochiko Chicken      Origin: Hawaii	Seaweed Salt      Origin: Britain
Dried Laver      Origin: Ireland	Oarweed Chips      Origin: British	Seaweed Seasoning      Origin: Britain
Dried Petalonia      Origin: Britain	Oarweed-cured Tuna      Origin: Ireland	Seaweed Soup II      Origin: Scotland
Dulce      Origin: El Salvador	Ochazuke (Japanese Green Tea Rice)      Origin: Japan	Seaweed Vinegar      Origin: Canada
Dulse and Beans      Origin: Britain	Okra with Seaweed Paste      Origin: Fusion	Seaweed Wolfberry Cupcakes      Origin: Britain
Dulse and Chocolate Bouchons      Origin: France	Oysters in Stout Batter with Carrageen      Origin: Ireland
Dulse Potato Cakes      Origin: Ireland	Paratoi Bara Lafwr (Preparing Laverbread)      Origin: Welsh

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