Kelp Products
In Asia, most notably amongst the Japanese, Kelp has a long and esteemed history of use. Following these traditional practices and acknowledging the health wisdom of historical cultures, Indigo Herbs is proud to present our premium quality Kelp Powder and Organic Kombu Seaweed. As with all our products this is some of the finest available on the market and can be utilised as a high grade botanical ingredient.
In Japan kelp has been consumed as ‘wakame’ or ‘kompu’ from as early as the Jōmon Period (14,000 – 300 BC) where archaeological evidence suggests it might have been a large part of the Japanese diet. Several historical texts tell of the spread of kompu throughout Japan and how it was a staple of the people of the Okinawan Islands. In the 20th century kompu became readily available throughout the world through cultivation on a mass scale. Kelp has a very high iodine content with a range of vitamins and minerals that make it a great food for those who are suffering from iodine deficiency. Interestingly, there are a large range of products that contain Kelp as a thickening agent; these range from cheese, ice cream and cosmetics.
Kelp is an algae that grows in underwater ‘forests’ and is part of the Phaeophyceae family. There are some 300 variants of Kelp and not all are suitable for consumption. Usually growing in shallow oceans in warm nutrient rich water, Kelp grows fast and can reach 30 to 80 meters in length. In the Scottish Highlands and Orkney during the 19th century Kelp was burnt to produce Soda ash which was used in the production of glass.
