Scientists Discover A Seaweed That Tastes Just Like Bacon

Researchers from Oregon State University (OSU) have recently patented a strain of red marine algae; it’s called dulse. It grows very quickly and is jam packed full of protein, but that’s not even close to the most exciting part about it. This seaweed, when cooked, tastes like bacon! Vegans rejoice! Meat-eaters should be happy about this as well, as it is a much healthier alternative to that beloved taste. Some scientists are even going as far as to call it “God’s Vegetable.”

This seaweed grows in the wild along the Atlantic and Pacific coastlines. In dried form it is sold for around $90 a pound. Traditionally it is sold as a nutritional supplement (as it is a great source of iodine) or a cooking ingredient. Researcher, Chris Langdon and his colleagues at OSU’s Hatfield Marine Science Center have now created a new strain of dulse, that they have been growing for the past 15 years.