When is the agarweed harvest season? A full guide to how to eat and use it

The ultimate summer cooler is here! Every year from May to July is the harvest season for agarweed along the northeastern coast of Taiwan, China. Along the harbor and in the plazas, purplish-red and brown agarweed can be seen stretching to the horizon. This beautiful agarweed is not just a feast for the eyes; a bite of low-calorie agar jelly goes down with no guilt and cools you off.

Agarweed collection sites range from Gongliao, Jinshan and Wanli in New Taipei City to Keelung. Lin Chih-hsien, assistant officer of the Gongliao District Fishermen's Association in New Taipei City, said the annual agarweed output in the Gongliao area can reach as much as 6 tonnes; however, last year, because fish consumed a large amount, the harvest was only 3 tonnes. The season has just begun, so this year's output cannot yet be estimated.

According to issue 81 of the Natural Conservation Quarterly, there are 3 common species of agarweed in Taiwan, China: Gelidium japonicum, Gelidium amansii and Pterocladiella tenuis. They grow from the low tide line to offshore depths of 1 to 5 m, and the species harvested in the largest quantities is mainly Gelidium amansii. In the early days, the economic activity in northern fishing villages was that men went out to sea to fish, while women dived into the sea to collect agarweed to supplement the household income; they were called "haenyeo" (sea women).

Lin Chih-hsien, assistant officer of the Gongliao District Fishermen's Association in New Taipei City, said that the more than 10 sea women he has come into contact with all began diving to collect agarweed as young girls, and even now that they are grandmothers they are still dragons of the deep, with rich harvesting experience and knowing where to go and at what time to collect. After agarweed is brought ashore, it still has to go through 6 to 7 rounds of repeated washing and sun-drying to remove the fishy smell, and finally the purplish-red agarweed turns into milky-yellow dried agarweed. After buying it and taking it home, wash and cook it, add your favorite ingredients to the agarweed gel, and once it cools, a refreshing summer treat is ready to serve.

Regarding the sun-drying of agarweed, there was even a small episode in Changtan Village, Keelung. After the Museum of Marine Science and Technology and Chaojing Park were built, local residents extended the area for sun-drying agarweed from their own doorsteps to the visitor walkways, which drew complaints from tourists and conflicts. Therefore, in the 103rd year of the Republic of China (2014), the museum set up the "Chaojing Park Agarweed Display Demonstration Area" for this purpose, complete with interpretive signs, solving residents' need to sun-dry agarweed and also giving tourists a basic understanding of agarweed.

Agarweed needs to go through 6 to 7 rounds of washing and sun-drying to remove the fishy smell and sea sand, and finally it fades from purplish-red to pale yellow.

After the agarweed is washed and cooked, add your favorite ingredients to the agarweed gel, and once it cools, the low-calorie ultimate summer cooler is ready to serve. (Photo / provided by the New Taipei City Fisheries and Fishing Port Affairs Management Office)