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Black Seaweed Contest

WILLIAMS TAKES TOP PRIZE IN BLACK SEAWEED CONTEST

Ivan D. Williams of Angoon won first place on Friday for his black seaweed recipe in the third biennial seaweed contest sponsored by Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI).

Other winners included Karen Bernhardt of Hydaburg, who took second place, and Peggy Williams of Angoon who won third place. Katherine Smith of Kake was given an honorable mention.

A panel of judges tasted the seaweed, which was presented on numbered plates so they would not know the identities of contestants nor their hometowns. Judges included Myranell Bergtold (Tsimshian), Betty Marvin (Tlingit) and Julie Coburn (Haida). The judges put a premium on seaweed that tasted like it was made in the traditional way, which meant drying the seaweed in the sun.

“When you natural dry it, it’s a lot better than putting it in the oven – or the microwave. When we thought it was oven dried, we took it out right away, we eliminate it,” said judge Betty Marvin.

Prizes were $500 for first place, $250 for second place and $100 for third place. Fifteen people from across Southeast Alaska submitted entries by the deadline on Wednesday.

Black seaweed - laak’ásk - has been a valuable food source for the Native people of Southeast Alaska for thousands of years. The fresh seaweed is gathered at a minus tide and dried in the sun on sheets. Some people dry it immediately, while others let it soak overnight to soften it. After it is dried, pieces are dipped into a solution of water and flavorings, such as sugar and salt, clam juice and minced clams.

When it has almost dried again, it is put through a grinder. It is stored in a variety of ways, sometimes with bits of other wild plants layered in. Subtleties in the process affect the texture and tenderness. It can be eaten dried or cooked with salmon and salmon eggs.

Seaweed offers the broadest range of minerals of any food, containing virtually all the minerals found in the ocean--the same minerals that are found in human blood. It is a good source of the B-vitamin folate, and magnesium, and a good source of iron, calcium and the B-vitamins riboflavin and pantothenic acid. In addition, seaweeds contain good amounts of lignans, plant compounds with cancer-protective properties.