      
Carrageen / Carragheen Irish Moss Phylum : Rhodophyta Class : Florideophyceae Order : Gigartinales Family : Gigartinaceae Genus : Chondrus Species Name : Chondrus crispus (Stackhouse) Common name : Carrageen , carragheen , Irish Moss
© Prof Michael D Guiry 2006 Carrageen / Irish Moss growing along Irish shores Carrageen / Irish Moss is one of the most widely used seaweeds throughout the world. It is one of the seaweeds that you will have eaten - probably without knowing it! It is E numbers E406,E407 and E407a - believe it or not! It was given "E number" classification in the 1970s though the recent general movement has been away from E numbers, it is one of the "natural" E numbers - E400 to E420. Check out the UK Food Guide for more information. Carrageen / Irish Moss This seaweed is hand gathered around the shores of Ireland and left out in a sheltered spot to be "bleached" - this is the process of the red colour (the picture on the right) of this Irish Seaweed being removed from the seaweed by the sun and the rain. The repeated wetting and drying turn this Irish Seaweed to it's traditional golden brown colour - something similar to the picture on the left. This bleaching means that when cooked, the gel that is produced by this Irish Moss / Carrageen is clear and colourless. This the vegetarian alternative to gelatine - a 100% natural setting agent. This seaweed makes a lovely dessert, refreshing drink and was traditonally used as an old cough, cold and flu remedy (simply boil up with water, sugar and lemon and drink!). This remedy is known to work on both human and horses too! (I can personally vouch for that for both species!) Uses :
Carrageen Recipes - Click Here Please select for other Sea Vegetables
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