Discussion · bonfire.cafe

@camelliakyoto@mastodon.social · 2 months ago

On April 14th Japan's nori farmers travel to pay their respects to Drew-Baker's memorial overlooking the Ariake Sea, a huge bay filled with seaweed farms.

Drew-Baker's research into the mysterious life cycle of 'porphyra' solved the problem of how to artificially seed seaweed🙌

#のり #seaweed #海苔

Photograph of Kathleen Mary Drew-Baker (キャスリーンメアリードリューベイカー).

Camellia Tea Ceremony

@camelliakyoto@mastodon.social replied · 2 months ago

It is no exaggeration to say that Drew-Baker inadvertently saved Japan's entire seaweed industry.

Marine biologist Segawa Sōkichi (瀬川宗吉) read about her detailed findings in 'Nature' magazine in 1949 and was finally able to piece together how to revitalise seaweed production.

#瀬川宗吉 #seaweed #Japan

Woodblock print of women collecting seaweed.

Photo thanks - https://ja.ukiyo-e.org/ — Woodblock print of women collecting seaweed. Photo thanks - https://ja.ukiyo-e.org/

Woodblock print of women wading in the sea and collecting seaweed.

Photo thanks - https://ja.ukiyo-e.org/ — Woodblock print of women wading in the sea and collecting seaweed. Photo thanks - https://ja.ukiyo-e.org/

Woodblock print of women in a boat gathering reeds.

Photo thanks - https://ja.ukiyo-e.org/ — Woodblock print of women in a boat gathering reeds. Photo thanks - https://ja.ukiyo-e.org/

Woodblock print of fishing boats amongst reed beds.

Photo thanks - https://ja.ukiyo-e.org/ — Woodblock print of fishing boats amongst reed beds. Photo thanks - https://ja.ukiyo-e.org/

Camellia Tea Ceremony

@camelliakyoto@mastodon.social replied · 2 months ago

To provide fresh fish for shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川家康 1543-1616), bamboo pens were constructed in Edo Bay to hold live catches.
It was discovered that seaweed thrived on the bamboo fences, and soon fishing communities were actively farming the algae on sunken wooden frames.

#seaweed #Edo #江戸 #徳川家康

An aerial view of a seaweed farm in Japan.

Photo thanks - https://www.sushisushi.co.uk/ — An aerial view of a seaweed farm in Japan. Photo thanks - https://www.sushisushi.co.uk/

A man walking close to flooded fields specializing in raising seaweed.

Photo thanks - https://www.sushisushi.co.uk/ — A man walking close to flooded fields specializing in raising seaweed. Photo thanks - https://www.sushisushi.co.uk/

Seaweed farm.

Photo thanks - https://moonlitseaprints.com/inventory/mls2022062-shiro-kasamatsu-nori-seaweed-aka-shadow-on-the-waves/ — Seaweed farm. Photo thanks - https://moonlitseaprints.com/inventory/mls2022062-shiro-kasamatsu-nori-seaweed-aka-shadow-on-the-waves/

Camellia Tea Ceremony

@camelliakyoto@mastodon.social replied · 2 months ago

Until the early Edo period villagers had harvested naturally growing algae by hand (in the 8thC it is recorded that some fishermen paid their taxes to the emperor in kelp), but farming allowed for cheaper and more readily available seaweed (a valuable food source in winter).

#seaweed #wakame #nori

Diagram of a woman preparing seaweed sheets.

Diagram of seaweed being prepared into sheets for drying.

Camellia Tea Ceremony

@camelliakyoto@mastodon.social replied · 2 months ago

The paper-making industry would inspire the creation of nori (海苔) in the 18thC.
Using similar techniques to paper production, seaweed was shredded, moulded and dried on racks, creating sheets of edible algae.
Nori would come to play an important role in Japanese cuisine🙌

#海苔 #nori #laver #seaweed

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