Dulse

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iPalmaria palmata

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Protista
Phylum:	Rhodophyta
Class:	Florideophyceae
Order:	Palmariales
Family:	Palmariaceae
Genus:	Palmaria
Species:	P. palmata

Binomial name

Palmaria palmata
(Linnaeus) Kuntze, 1891

Dulse (Palmaria palmata (L.) Kuntze), also called dillisk, dilsk, dulse or creathnach, is a red algae that grows along the northern coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, where it is a traditional food. In the Irish provinces of Connacht and Ulster, it is a well-known snack food.

Dulse grows attached to rocks by a holdfast. It grows from the mid-tide portion of the intertidal zone (the area between the high tide and low tide) and into deep water. Fronds may vary from rose to reddish-purple, and range from about 20 to 40 cm (8" to 16"). From June through September, it is picked by hand at low water, brought to drying fields (or spreading grounds) and put through a shaker to remove snails, shell pieces, etc. The fronds are spread thinly on netting and left to dry, turned once and rolled into large bales to be packaged or ground later.

Dulse is commonly used in Ireland and Atlantic Canada both as food and medicine. There it is found in many health food stores or fish markets or can be ordered directly from local distributors. Dulse is traditionally sold at the Ould Lammas Fair in Ballycastle, Northern Ireland. A variety of dulse is cultivated in Nova Scotia and marketed as Sea Parsley, sold fresh in the produce section. Dulse is now shipped around the world.

Dulse can be found in some dietary supplements, where it is often referred to as "Nova Scotia Dulce." Dulse is a good source of dietary requirements; a handful will provide more than 100% of the daily amount of Vitamin B6, 66% of Vitamin B12, a day's supply of iron and fluoride, and it is relatively low in sodium and high in potassium.

Fresh dulse can be eaten directly off the rocks before sun-drying. Sun-dried dulse is eaten as is or is ground to flakes or a powder. It can also be pan fried quickly into chips, baked in the oven covered with cheese with salsa, or simply microwaved briefly. It can also be used in soups, chowders, sandwiches and salads, or added to bread/pizza dough. Finely diced, it can also be used as a flavour enhancer in meat dishes, such as chilli, in place of monosodium glutamate.

[edit] Distribution

Found on the coast of Europe including the Faroes.

[edit] References

Barton, E.S. 1891. On the occurrence of Galls in Rhodymenia palmata grev. J. of Bot. 29: 65 - 68.
Grubb, V.M. 1923. Preliminary note on the reproduction of Rhodymenia palmata, Ag. Ann. Bot. 37 : 151 - 152.
Pueschel, C.M. 1979. Ultrastructure of the tetrasporogenesis in Palmaria palmata (Rhodophyta). J. Phycol. 15 409 - 424.
South, G.R. and Hooper, R.G. 1980. A Catalogue and Atlas of the Benthic Marine Algae of the Island of Newfoundland. p. 1 - 136. Memorial University of Newfoundland Occasional Papers in Biology.