西班牙语厨师莱昂他的研究团队正在调查海草谷物的烹饪前景，他们认为这可以帮助解决气候危机并改善粮食安全。
莱昂关于Zostera码头grain, a type of seagrass, began in 2017 when he stumbled upon the grain in the Bay of Cádiz in Southern Spain. Over the last few years, the research team at León’s restaurant,Aponiente, have explored the grain’s potential as a culinary ingredient.
Juan Martín, Environmental Manager of Aponiente and coordinator of the Zostera Marina Project, tells Food Tank, “Zostera Marina seeds have such great culinary potential because of their similarity to other grains. One could make flour, or ferment it into alcohol, the possibilities are endless.”
According to联合国环境计划, seagrass meadows play a vital role in the ecosystem. They stabilize the seafloor, provide food and nursery habitats, and maintain water quality. Although they cover less than one percent of the sea floor, seagrass meadows hold around 10 percent of the carbon stored in the ocean. But seagrass meadows are steadily declining because of pollution and habitat destruction.
To harness the power of seagrass, León and his team are cultivating the Zostera Marina seed in the Bay of Cádiz, near his restaurant. The cultivation area, measuring around 3,000 meters-squared, also serves as a seed bank for future cultivation and restoration projects.
“将海草纳入水产养殖是自然的下一步，会产生积极的影响，”马丁告诉食品坦克。w88优德老虎机平台“ Zostera不仅将充当苗圃栖息地，而且还可以帮助清洁水和隔离碳。如果从战略上将海草农场放置在沿海地区，它们可以通过锚定沉积物并减少风暴潮的影响来帮助防止侵蚀。”
莱昂的团队不是第一个利用Zostera码头的团队。海草已用于多种目的，包括床垫馅，牲畜饲料，肥料和壁绝缘。和Seri社区在加利福尼亚湾，还收获了Zostera码头的种子供食用。
马丁（Martín）告诉食w88优德老虎机平台品坦克（Food Tank），研究小组访问了Seri社区，以了解谷物。“每年春天，这些海草叶片都在装满种子的岸上洗净，而塞里人则收集了它们。种子在塞里文化中被称为Xnoois。”马丁告诉食品坦克。w88优德老虎机平台他讲述了Xnoois在访问社区时类似于玉米饼的大面包的转变。
“我们最喜欢的食谱是塞里人的玉米饼，因为它带有的信息和文化遗产，”马丁告诉食品坦克。w88优德老虎机平台
然而，海洋科学的名誉教授肯尼斯·摩尔（Kenneth Moore）博士是不确定的Zostera码头将成为可靠的食物来源，理由是培养和收获程序并发症。“在池塘中人为地种植海草将需要特殊的水质，温度控制和光。在任何时间内，我们几乎没有成功在温室中生长海草。”摩尔告诉食品坦克。w88优德老虎机平台即使是为了收获种子，他也强调，对于大规模商业用途而言，该过程很难复制。
But Martín remains optimistic that Aponiente’s Zostera Marina project can introduce new opportunities to restore seagrasses, fight climate change, and even improve food security. Currently, the team is going through the process of certifying Zostera Marina as a novel food through the European Food Safety Authority. Working closely with research institutes and local universities, Martín hopes that they will be able to serve the Zostera Marina grain at their restaurant within the year.
照片由Aponiente提供
