Sea-women mothers harvest agar-agar, share a summer delicacy

(Taiwan Business News) The Northeast Coast has a mild climate and pure water, and the reef areas are rich in all kinds of natural algae. The sea women remove the poor and keep the best, gathering the finest agar-agar weed, which after boiling and cooling becomes delicious agar-agar jelly, the most natural refreshing drink for the hot summer days.

On the Northeast Coast, from the third to the fifth month of the lunar calendar, when the tide goes out you can see groups of mothers bending over at the shore, concentrating on gathering agar-agar weed. Agar-agar weed grows on rocks that are invisible at high tide, and can only be gathered when the tide has ebbed to a low level. Especially on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month, when the tide is at its lowest, is the best time to pick agar-agar weed. At other times you have to rely on experienced "sea women" who dive into the water to gather it.

Liao Rongqing, director of the Agriculture Bureau, said that the sea women of this city are mainly in Wanli's Yehliu and Gongliao's Aodi. To help share the family expenses, the women of these local fishing villages risk their lives diving along the shore to gather edible seaweed.

To make gathering agar-agar weed easier, these hardworking women always use their own skillful hands to sew unique fashionable face-covering gear. Moreover, the sea-women mothers have a strong sense of ecological conservation: they do not pull up the whole agar-agar plant, but leave the roots behind, so that agar-agar weed keeps growing and can be used sustainably. It is currently the agar-agar weed season, with an annual output of about 30 tons. The price at the place of origin is about 240 yuan per jin, and it can be boiled 2 to 3 times, making it quite economical. It is rich in water-soluble fiber, polysaccharides, vitamin B1, B2, iodine and abundant algae gum, and is also called "sea bird's nest" and "Taiwan kanten." It is refreshing and tasty with very few calories, and can be bought all along the Northeast Coast. The sea-women mothers invite everyone to come and taste it.