Cochayuyo

Every year over 90 000 tons of chochayuyo are harvested in Chile, however its consumption by local people is slight. The majority is exported to the international markets looking for nutritious, healthy foods.

Cochayuyo sold in the local market

What is it?

Cochayuyo or also called cochayuyo alge or Chilean alge is native, eatable seaweed (kelp) of Chile. It grows attached to the rocks and loves quite cold ocean waters , so all the Chilean coast is a perfect plays for it to live. The name comes from the Mapuche language and means “cocha”- ocean, “yuyo” – plan, thus , simply “plant form the ocean”.

 

How does it look & taste?

It is long (even up to 15 m) spongy like a rubber with light brown color. It has hard texture and characteristic fishy smell and taste.

 

Nutrition and heath benefits

Like other seaweeds, Cochayuyo contains high amounts of protein, dietary fiber and minerals, especially iodine. It is also rich in omega 3’s and essential amino acids, and low in fat. During especially hard times, when Chilean families suffered from the shortage of meat, the last was substituted with cochayuyo. For example it replaced beef in the most traditional Chilean stew – Charquicán. So even today some families still enjoy Charquicán de Cochayuyo.

Surce: http://www.myfitnesspal.com

 

Cochayuyo is super nutritious and healthy food, in particularly it:

• Helps control weight – high in fiber, low in fat
• Helps control cholesterol
• Helps incleaning effect of the body – high content of alginic acid
• Helps with constipation – high fiber content

 

How to eat it?

Cochayuyo is sold dried, thus the basic preparation methods involve soaking over night and/or boiling for 20 minutes or so in water with a bit of vinegar or lemon juice. Next, it is cut into pieces and added to other ingredients: beans, potatoes and onions, etc.

Cooked cochayuyo

Cochayuyo is eaten us salads, stews or soups. It can also be eaten as snack alone after cooking it in the water with lemon juice and little bit of salt.

Here are the links to some of the most popular cochayuyo recipes:

Recipes sources in English:

Charquicán de cochayuyo

http://www.recipelink.com/msgbrd/board_3/2001/JAN/5159.html

http://translate.google.cl/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://sopas.blogia.com/2006/011401-cazuela-de-cordero-con-cochayuyo-chile-br-sopa-de-fondo-de-cordero-con-algas-.php&ei=XsfDS8qSDsOruAeI5LjaBg&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDUQ7gEwAA&prev=/se

http://www.ivu.org/recipes/latinam/empanadas.html

More recipes in Spanish:

http://www.biomanantial.com/recetas-con-alga-cochayuyo-parte-a-79-es.html

http://www.botanical-online.com/algas_tipos_cochayuyo.htm