(We apologize for the muddled releases, we have been encountering some technical issues which have now been sorted! We hope you enjoy the new visuals of the blog and we hope for smooth sailing from here on. - Isaac P.S. Enjoy this new blog from Viky as well!!)
Laver is very common in East Asia. It has high content of dietary
minerals, particularly iodine and iron. It has different names in
different countries. It is known as nori in Japan gim in Korea. In China
we call it zicai means purple vegetable. Seems a little strange because
it looks like green, dark green or nearly black when we buy if from
supermarket or cook it at home.
Why it get such a strange name in China? First let we search from Phylogenetic Tree of Life.
Laver belongs to purple laver(Porphyra umbilicalis is the Latin name),
but so far now, the scholars doubt about if Algae family belongs to
plant or not.But we are similarly classified mushrooms belongs to
vegetables.
(mushroom is also not plant). So it may gives the reasons about vegetable part.
The reason about the purple part is when it grown in the sea. It looks
like the purple silk fluttered in the water. After we pick it up and
treatment, processing it, it turns to dark color. The one makes it
purple color is phycoerythrin which will break down at a high
temperature. So when we cook it, it will change to green color. If we
cook it for a long time or storage it for a long time, the chlorophyll
will also break down. Then it change to tan or dark red. This could use
to check if the dry Laver is new one or old one. May not works if they
use artificial colourings.
PS the Life History and Reproductive Modes in the Laver is quiet
interesting. But it is different to describe. If we talk about it in
here,then we are quite far away from food, so I will not show it in
here.
If you are interesting about it. Maybe you could search it online or in
library. Thy best way to show it is by drawing picture. And I have no
cells about Arts.
- Viky
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