The new trend of Italian food? Seaweed. Years ago it was unthinkable to eat them (and who knows that in a few years we will consider it normal to eat, for example, insects), but today thanks to the influence of oriental cuisine, Japanese but not only, these vegetables have arrived on our tables. How? In ethnic restaurants, of course, but also, in the case ofspirulina algae which can be easily found in powder form (which saves its beneficial properties avoiding the impact with the typical bitter taste of a "real" seaweed), as a food supplement: it can be eaten with salads and vegetables, it is perfect with cucumbers, zucchini or avocado, it can be combined with grilled vegetables or, with autumn just around the corner, it can be one of the ingredients that make a nice soup even healthier.
In fact, spirulina, which grows in fresh water and is native to Central America, is to all intents and purposes a "nutraceutical" food: 8 times richer in calcium than milk (and 20 times richer than beans), 34 times richer in iron than spinach, 20 times richer in beta-carotene than carrots. It is also a generous source of vitamins A, group B, E and K, amino acids equal to that of the egg, fatty acids and mineral salts, in particular potassium, iron, zinc, copper, selenium, magnesium. Contains proteins already transformed into amino acids, for 65-70% against 20-25% of lean meat, decreases bad cholesterol and is useful for promoting cardiovascular health. Precisely because of this exceptional synergy of nutrients and antioxidants, since the XNUMXs the UN has identified spirulina as one of the main food sources of the future, as well as one of the key foods in the vegan diet.
Unlike sea algae, as if that were not enough, spirulina does not contain iodine (therefore it does not alter thyroid function), but is a mine of chlorophyll, a molecule with a composition similar to that of blood, which cures anemias, oxygenates brain tissues and enhances muscle mass. It therefore improves metabolic processes, increases vital energy and, if needed, promotes weight loss: the presence of alginic acid, a mucilaginous substance that binds with toxins and heavy metals present in the body and facilitates their elimination, makes so that spirulina is a powerful purifier and a good antiviral. Once the (almost) infinite list of beneficial properties is over, let's go back to its possible use.
To be added in powder form to other dishes, but not only. “Spirulina algae can be useful as a food supplement tout court, but also as an ingredient for pasta, crackers, biscuits. One of our customers also uses it for a special bread”, tell for example two cousins entrepreneurs from Caserta, Antonio and Onofrio, who specialize in superfoods, i.e. those foods considered particularly beneficial for the body and of which Italians are increasingly greedy. “We have chosen to launch ourselves: there are very few controlled farms, in Italy they can be counted on the fingers of one hand and in Europe there are not many more. Cultivating spirulina could really have been the right choice". And it was: this special seaweed is “now famous because it has high proteins. Although it is also very fashionable as a dietary supplement, it is especially recommended for those with a lack of protein or iron, as well as being suitable for the diet of cancer patients, as it is rich in B vitamins. It is even one of the healthiest and most sustainable dyes around”.
And now even the great chefs are starting to take it into consideration: just think of the risotto with spirulina by Giuliano Baldessari, with Aqua Crua. "Today there are many chefs who request it and we have many customers throughout Italy, with very interesting ongoing experiments", explain Antonio and Onofrio, adding that in the Caserta area two pizzerias that are studying spirulina dough and that there is also a lot of interest in the world of cheese makers and pastry chefs: "We are negotiating with a dairy that wants to use it for its yoghurt and we are increasingly seeing spreadable creams and cheeses with the addition of spirulina: for example, it is extremely interesting is the experiment of a pastry chef from Madonna di Campiglio who is trying various combinations with donkey milk”.
