Fermentation makes seaweed spreads tastier ^{CEFR B1}

A new study published in Future Foods tested whether lactic acid fermentation can improve the taste and texture of seaweed in common foods. Researchers worked with the brown seaweed Alaria esculenta and made two spreadable products: a cream cheese and a baobab spread.

The team compared untreated, fermented and acidified seaweed at concentrations of 10% and 15% in the products. Sensory assessments found that fermentation reduced strong marine notes and produced a milder, fresher and more balanced flavour, especially in the cream cheese.

Fermentation also changed texture: the cream cheese with fermented seaweed was firmer, more stable and described by participants as chewier and less runny than other versions. In a consumer taste test with 160 participants, the fermented cream cheese averaged 7.2 out of 9, compared with 6.1 for the untreated version.

The authors present fermentation as a promising way to make nutritious seaweed foods that taste good. They also note the value of combining sensory work, microbiology and consumer research in the project.