Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Wild Food guide to Gutweed along with all the Gutweed containing recipes presented on this site, with 4 recipes in total.

This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.

These recipes, all contain Gutweed as a major wild food ingredient.

Gutweed, Ulva intestinalis, (also known as Grass Kelp and Ulva compressa Linnaeus) is is a green alga (and a member of the Ulvaceae family) that grows profusely in north-western Europe, but which has a global distribution. The closely related species, Ulva compressa and U linza are also very common around the British coast and it takes real expertise to distinguish between them (but all are equally edible). Typically then can be found on all levels of the shore, but often thrive particularly well where there are freshwater run-offs. They can also be found in the brackish waters of estuaries and saltmarshes. They are green seaweeds, with tubular and elongate fronds that may be branched, flattened or inflated and are typically 20 to 40cm long. They are bright green in colour and may occasionally be bleached white, particularly around rock pools. They attach to the substrate by means of a minute disc-like holdfast.

Until they were reclassified by genetic work completed in the early 2000s, the tubular members of the sea lettuce genus Ulva were placed in the genus Enteromorpha. With gutweed formerly named Enteromorpha intestinalis.

Many species of Ulvales are summer annuals and are most abundant in June and July. They are fast-growing species that are able to reproduce quickly. The alga is cylindrical in nature which may aid it in keeping buoyant. Indeed, the form of the alga makes it look rather like green intestines (hence the Latin name).

When dried and deep fried they are edible and are the origin of the 'crispy seaweed' used as topping on many Chinese dishes (though today deep-fried cabbage rather than the original seaweed). But, if you want an authentic taste then go out and collect gutweed for your next stir-fry. Young specimens can be washed and used raw in salads or they can be lightly boiled or steamed and used like a green vegetable.

For other edible seaweed (sea vegetables), see the guide to edible seaweed

References:

[1]. David Evans Notes from field observations, tastings and cookery experiments.
[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants