Seaweed

For many people of the Isles seaweed is a reasonably easy to cultivate food source. It's many varieties mean it can be grown out at sea, in kelp beds in shallow coastal regions, and even in rocky pools. It is highly nutritious and can be used in a variety of ways, to form a basis for many dishes. Almost every island has it's own special seaweed dish, and it is often a matter of pride in some places for coming up with new and inventive ways to use plentiful food source.   Due to the lack of available arable land on some islands, kelp is often used as substitute food source for the few livestock animals they keep. With many small islands keeping at least one kelp bed for grazing if possible. Seaweed can also be dried out and stored for later use during times when other food sources are more scarce. Seaweed beds are often a good way to encourage sea life as well as it often gives shelter for smaller fish and creatures to hide from larger predators.   Some enterprising folk have even managed to cultivate new breeds and hybrids of seaweed, which are more hardy or give a different taste. Seaweed can be used as a basis for many dishes or added as a nutritious supplement to others, in some places it is used in sweet treats, others make a potent fermented drink from it. Some types are even known to have some curative properties. Seaweed tea is very popular in some regions and it has a whole culture built around it.   For some of those folk who come from the larger islands and may not often venture to the coast, it can be a bit of an acquired taste and some of it's dishes maybe don't look so appetising, after all a bowl of droopy green stuff that smells like the sea, may not be for everyone. However for most people, especially those who live in the more remote reaches of the isle it can mean the difference between life and death.