How many times have you taken that first taste of a hearty soup or crunchy salad and slapped yourself on the forehead thinking, “I could have had a (no, not V-8) — a salad with Fucus, Nori, or Sea Palm — or a soup with Kombu!” OK, probably never, but discerning lovers of seaweed around the country crave it, and know where to get it: Fort Bragg’s Rising Tide Sea Vegetables.

Since 1981 Rising Tide Sea Vegetables, a locally owned cottage industry on the Mendocino coast in Northern California, has been fine-tuning the techniques involved in sustainably harvesting wild sea vegetables by hand, then drying, and storing them.

It is one of only a few operations that harvest seaweed along the Pacific Coast, and one of only two companies in the United States offering a full range of local and imported seaweed products.

An Ocean-Friendly Business

The company has developed its harvesting techniques based on sound science, and a deep personal sense of responsibility.

“Spending as much time as we do in the Pacific’s intertidal zones and witnessing the intricate balance of life there, we can hardly help but learn to revere these ecosystems and to respect the creatures that depend on the sea vegetables we harvest,” says owner Larry Knowles. “Returning year after year to the same locations, we’ve come to know these places intimately, and to feel a personal responsibility for ensuring that they continue to flourish.”

Unlike industrial-scale seaweed companies, Rising Tide Sea Vegetables does not use machines, motorized boats, or other harvesting equipment that could adversely affect the ocean environment.

“We are careful never to take too much from one area. We’ve perfected our hand-cutting techniques to leave the least impact, so that our seaweeds can continue to grow and reproduce,” says Knowles.

Extensive Array Of Products

The company has an extensive array of nutrient-rich sea vegetable products including whole leaves, sushi sheets, granules, flakes, powder, crunchy energy bars — even a soothing Kombu bath bag for revitalizing skin, body and spirit.

They also offer a number of choice sea vegetable varieties from China, Japan and Maine.

Click here for a list of where to buy their products.