Spring Sea Harvests

Winter and early spring in many coastal areas of Japan is a time of harvest--that is, seaweed harvests from the sea. In March, Kamakura and other communities are busy with wakame harvesting--cutting from rocks or cultivation ropes the long fronds, blanching in water that is boiled on the beach, and hanging to dry.

Ordinary folk also get caught up in wakame gathering--stepping into the bay to pluck wakame from the surf, boiling, then hanging to dry from laundry hangers in gardens and on balconies.

wakame gatherering

harvested wakame drying
second day of wakame drying
wakame, konbu and tengusa--three types of seaweed harvested and drying in a small garden!
see the wakame drying above the covered bicycle?

On a recent visit to the Koshigoe area of Kamakura, I said hello to my favorite wakame growing family, with their set-up featured in The Wakame Gatherers (Shen's/Lee & Low). Do you recognize these scenes?

the woman who was the model for Baachan in The Wakame Gatherers
wakame drying
Kamakura coastline
natural or tennen wakame (cut from rocks not cultivated on ropes) dried and packaged, purchased on the beach

I love to do author visits to schools to talk about wakame and Japanese seaweed harvesting. And what a treat when those visits fall during wakame season!

wakame salad prepared for students
 
with a wakame-loving librarian, all ready for the students to arrive
Fresh wakame is available in winter and early spring, but dried wakame is available year-round. Beware in the U.S. of sweetened MSG-flavored "wakame salad" in some Asian markets--stick to pure wakame which rehydrates in moments, and is perfect added to salads and soups.

Enjoy!