“Blue Food” in the West Swedish Archipelago

The sea on the Bohuslän coast is a goody bag of delicious ingredients such as mussels, seaweed, oysters, sea lettuce and monkfish! Read on and be tempted by “Blue food” in the West Swedish archipelago

Restaurants in the region have really opened their eyes to the sustainable blue food, and knowledgeable entrepreneurs and chefs are actively working to entice more guests to try new species by creating innovative and exciting dishes. Here are our tips for blue and sustainable food experiences in Western Sweden.

‘Blue food’ refers to the raw materials that come from the sea, better known as seafood. Some of the more well-known examples of blue food are mussels, oysters, seaweed and algae. But there are also species that are not as widely known, such as sea cucumber, swimming crab and glass prawn.

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Related: Hunting the Black Gold in Sweden
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Sustainable and tasty seafood

The blue raw materials found in the sea off the Bohuslän coast have great potential both when it comes to environmental considerations and taste experiences. Western Sweden has become a gastronomic center where local food traditions have a long history, and where raw materials from the sea are developed and used in new ways. Much food from the sea is significantly more sustainable and environmentally friendly than red meat. A mussel, for example, can filter up to five liters of water per hour. Seafood, which is not farmed, does not need feed production either, but it does require fishing in a gentle way – and several of the Swedish companies are at the forefront of this. Seafood also has a positive health effect, as it is low in fat, but at the same time rich in protein, vitamins and minerals.

Seaweed

In the Far East, seaweed has long been an important component of food, but in Nordic countries, the use of seaweed and kelp has been somewhat limited and a forgotten resource in cooking. In recent years, however, things have picked up somewhat, and this nutrient-rich plant species has had a renaissance. In West Swedish restaurants, such as VRÅ and the Michelin restaurant Signum, they use seaweed in various ways in their dishes, in addition to growing their own seaweed.

Seaweed is a raw material with a lot of nutrients as it contains a lot of protein, fatty acids, fibers, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Most of the species in the West Swedish waters are perennial (some can live up to 30 years), harvesting them carefully is therefore important, without pulling up attachments to the substrate. Seaweed is an incredibly sustainable raw material that benefits from the sea’s nutrients and at the same time counteracts the acidification of the water.

There are no poisonous seaweed species in Swedish waters, but some of them are better suited to cooking than others. They can be used as flavoring or boiled, fried, dried or pickled. Seaweed species that are suitable for food include sugar seaweed, finger seaweed, sea lettuce and bladder seaweed. When picking seaweed, you must be careful to choose exposed places facing the open sea, where the water is fresh and has movement in it. Always choose places far from harbors, bathing areas and industry. The seaweed tastes best when the water is cold.

Catxalot is a small company in Grebbestad that has put Swedish seaweed on the world map, and they are an important source of information about seaweed as food. Interest in cooking with seaweed has waned, and these green algae plants are a tasty, healthy and not least very environmentally friendly resource. Catxalot makes their own seaweed products, such as spices, salt and dried varieties. They also organize courses and events, hold lectures and train new seaweed entrepreneurs, and now they are also opening a branch in Grundsund.

Algblomman is another company that offers seaweed walking. They are based on Styrsö and they take you on a seaweed walk along the coast. Here you will get a demonstration of how to pick seaweed in a sustainable way and get tips on how to prepare it.

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Related: Shellfish Safaris in West Sweden
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“Blue Food” in the West Swedish Archipelago, article continues below the image.

Beer with a hint of the sea at Smögenbryggar’n

The Smögenbryggar’n brewery works for a vibrant coastal community and a sustainable marine environment. In the beer brewed at Smögenbryggar’n, they use products from the sea such as seaweed, shells and sea salt. They use algae (carrageenan) to clarify the beer naturally and the seaweed used, supplied by Nordic Seafarm, gives character to the beer when it comes to both color and taste.

Mussels

Moules frites and steaming mussels are a classic for many, and in recent years the demand for the mussels has increased considerably in the restaurants along the Swedish west coast. The Bohuslän mussels are known to be some of the world’s best and have been given a protected designation of origin by the EU. The nutrient content, the salt content and the temperature of the water are some of the factors that make the mussels maintain a high quality. Mussels are also very lean food containing protein, vitamin B12, iodine and selenium.

The mussels feed themselves by filtering particles, and a single mussel can filter up to five liters of water per hour. The more nutrients there are in the water, the more plankton there is, which is the most important food for the mussels. The Skagerrak water is rich in nutrients and the mussels filter the water by absorbing growth plankton that contains nitrogen and phosphorus, which are found in large quantities in many coastal waters due to human emissions. The shells thus clean the water, which makes it clearer and creates a cleaner environment in the sea.

“Blue Food” in the West Swedish Archipelago, based on a press release from West Sweden Tourist Board

Turistrådet Västsverige is the official destination company for Western Sweden. They work with the sustainable development and marketing of tourism in Western Sweden. The region consists of the areas of Bohuslän, Dalsland, Västergötland and Gothenburg.

Feature image (on top): Seafood at Tanum strand.