Today I was at UBC’s Beaty Biodiversity Museum for the screening of “Seaweed Chronicles: From Tide to Table”, a documentary on seaweed cultivation and farming on BC’s coast.
As per the press release, “From diving through kelp forests to receiving a seaweed masterclass, Seaweed Chronicles is a story of friendship, curiosity, and the power of food to connect people. Set against the backdrop of British Columbia’s stunning coastline, the film spotlights the characters and communities behind Canada’s growing seaweed movement—and invites viewers to taste the possibilities for themselves.”
I was invited by and drove all the way out to see and support one of my favourite chefs: William Lew, as an Oceanwise Ambassador and their Executive Chef. He has been on the forefront of conservation and sustainability, advocating for better practices in the name of the future and for longevity in fishing and farming agriculture. The movie featured him and his team, speaking to the use of seaweed in his craft.
The documentary starred a local, self-proclaimed “seaweed enthusiast”, sprinkled with facts from his years of study and interest in seaweed. Three years of this until the fruition of this movie, to be able to speak about the topic more, in great detail, to a larger audience, and in context with other specialists in the field. A diver and harvester, a seaweed farmer, and Chef William.
None of the seaweed growing along Vancouver’s coast is edible. It absorbs everything in the water, and if our waters can’t be swam in due to contamination, what grows within it isn’t edible as well. In order to harvest healthy and edible seaweed, they recommend travelling to the island instead.
There are over 650 different kinds of seaweed in the Pacific Northwest. The red and green varieties belong in the plant kingdom and are referred to as sea lettuce. Brown seaweed is all kelp. It can be prepared like vegetable, but with a salty, briny, and umami flavour.
Seaweed is one of the items that is the densest in minerals, stored easy for the body to break down. Heavy in Vitamin A, B, and C. Some varieties have vitamin D, E, and K as well.
Seaweed is one of the fastest growing and most sustainable food sources. You harvest it like you would prune a plant, and it will continue to regenerate and regrow so long as you don’t cut the stipe, which is also known as its stem.
Following the screening there was a Q&A panel, after that guest were invited out in to the foyer of the museum, where there were booths set up under the suspended blue whale skeleton. Diving gear, uses for kelp, and ocean conservation tables were set up, with experts available for discussions.
Here, Chef’s Will and his team had prepared a dish featuring kelp, to be able to make tonight full circle.
Kelp & Uni Hotoyaki Pocket with Smoked BC Seafood, Oyster & King Mushrooms, BC Seaweed Salad, Kombu Tofu Hummus, Macro Kelp Chili Maple Crunch, Kazunoko Konbu, and Gastronomer’s Garden Summer Flowers & Herbs.
There was a lot going on in each cardboard tray. A small bite that ate like a meal and decadently so with the uni and fish roe toppers. And for the vegetarians there was a mushroom option replacing the seafood in the pocket.
I enjoyed being able to see the chefs work at hand breaking down the bucket of pickled bull kelp and finishing each portion with a balloon-like bulb. The flavour lingered in the mouth with bits of the crumble and crunch that got stuck between teeth.
We were then given the opportunity to explore the museum, where over 2million specimens are kept as a part of their catalogued collection, and used for research purposes. Plant, animal, insect, marine life, and aviary. Each pressed, stuffed, framed, and/or preserved in jars. Interesting and a fair bit macabre. Sadly not all the drawers and cupboards were open and accessible, so I didn’t get to see more than 25% of the exhibit.
In closing, this was an interactive way to learn more about ocean stewardship that went full circle from movie to tasting.
UBC Beaty Biodiversity Museum
2212 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4
(604) 827-4955
beatymuseum.ubc.ca
