Bounty of sea still a beauty to behold

Life as we know it first began in the oceans which cover much of the earth.

From these fertile breeding grounds, basic life forms slowly emerged and eventually slithered out onto dry land.

And in the many millions of years that have passed since these monumental events the sea has continued to be a treasure chest of sustenance for human kind.

Fish, shellfish and seaweed have not only kept people well-fed and healthy but have provided a good living for many. Today the benefits of fish and fish oil are much heralded as beneficial in the treatment of everything from attention deficit disorder to heart disease.

This is, I suppose, the modern take on the much-despised cod liver oil that was forced down the throats of many unwilling children in the fifties and sixties. I grew up in Manchester where cod liver oil, along with an unpleasant, viscous orange juice, was liberally prescribed to ward off rickets and various other vitamin deficiencies.

The odd thing about the response of island nations such as Britain and Ireland to the bounty of the sea is that for years it was regarded as less than desirable, something that was associated with poverty and low living, Unless, of course, the fish in question was liberally covered in batter and deep fried to the point where you couldn’t tell what it once was anyway.

Recently, there has been a revival of interest in the potential uses of seaweed and a re-acquaintance with their many health benefits.

And yet sea vegetables in their many forms have played a significant part in the lives of nearly all-coastal dwellers. After the famine, men and women with heavy creels strapped to their backs could be seen scouring the sea shore for whatever food stuff the sea could offer. Dulse, Carrageen and other seaweeds were highly prized.

In recent years, seaweed has also enjoyed a resurgence in the beauty industry where it’s used in all kinds of lotions and potions and in elaborate seaweed baths which were once a great favourite of the Victorians.

A restored 200-year-old Georgian house in Kinvara for instance, houses the Irish Seaweed Treatment rooms and offers a 100% organic product, which, they say, will “unlock the goodness of the sea and release a wealth of minerals to sooth aches and pains and banish cares. Seaweed is one of nature’s purifiers which exfoliates and draws out impurities from the skin”.

Similar establishments have sprung up in many different parts of the country.

Carrageen has long been recognised as a potent cure for colds, coughs and that old favourite, the Carrageen pudding, not unlike a blancmange. And with a renewed interest in seaweeds many uses for cooking, I wasn’t altogether surprised — but fascinated — to see neat little pots of Carrageen Pudding on sale in Bantry’s SuperValu recently.

They were produced by Caroline Crowley of the Irish Seaside Kitchen. Caroline lives in Kilcrohane and she told me jut how her Carrageen Puddings had come about.

Did you grow up in West Cork, Caroline?

>>Yes we had a house called Woodlands in Ahakista, which eventually became a very famous Japanese restaurant. My father John looked after our small herd of dairy cows and he managed theKilcrohane Creamery. My mother Irene was — and still is — a superb chef of wholesome, hearty dishes made with fresh food and local seasonal ingredients. So I grew up with a real love of food.

You lived in the States for a number of years I believe?

>>“Yes, and I think for a lot of that time I was always moving back to West Cork slowly. I married a Cork man and we moved back down here. Both my husband and I have a great interest in food, in eating and the sea. In fact, he has a blog called ‘Eating Sheep’s Head’.

But you didn’t have a background in food production, did you?

>>“No, I didn’t. In fact I had a degree in Zoology and an active interest in rural development research. I wasn’t really looking for anything else to do. But I was inspired by my mother and the Kilcrohane Sunday market. We all loved my mother’s Carrageen pudding and with her help, I decided to try my hand at it. I took a few pots down to the market not knowing at all what would happen and it was very well received.”

I can vouch for the fact that it’s delicious but why else do you think it has become so popular?

>>“It’s got a lot to do with a food reminiscence. People remember their mothers and grandmothers used to make it and it brings back some lovely memories. Carrageen and other seaweeds are a heritage food and there’s a lot of our history and culture attached to them. People like Sally McKenna who teaches seaweed cookery and Prannie Rhatigan, the GP who has written that fabulous book, The Irish Seaweed Kitchen, there’s a renewed interest in cooking with seaweed now.”

Was it very difficult getting set up, seeing as you didn’t have a background in food production?

>>“I went to a fantastic course on food production run by the West Cork Enterprise Board and I attended several of Sally’s workshops. Then I was approached by Jim O’Keefe from Bantry’s SuperValu at the Bantry Food Festival.“He invited me to bring some of my puddings in which was fantastic. I’ve been able to do this on a small scale.“I have been inspected and comply with HSE regulations but I haven’t had to have special equipment. I use a home cooker and dedicated saucepans and, of course, proper storage.”

So what are your plans for the future?

>>“At the moment I’m producing about 70 pots a week, original and flavoured. I want to expand a bit but nothing too extreme. What’s really nice is to be able to do this in the safety and comfort of my own home. It’s hard work, much more than I might have imagined, but I really enjoy being a part of the small-scale artisan food movement.”