THE Japanese who visit Ireland are frequently baffled that we eat so little seaweed. When they walk along the seashore, they recognise seaweed and sea vegetables they seek out and relish in Japan.

XANTHAN GUM: An invaluable aid for gluten-free baking, as gluten-free flours are less elastic in texture. Adding a small amount of xanthan gum will to some extent replace these elastic qualities.