SeaClear

I really (really!) enjoy trying out obscure raw-vegan specialty foods, anything with a super food or medicinal content is high on my to taste list, so I was really (really!) excited when the Shaman Shack agreed to send me a sample of Sea-Clear, a fermented kelp product I was extremely curious about. It boasts an impressive ingredients list, high pro-biotic content, and long shelf life, what’s not to love about that?



A few days ago my package arrived from the Shaman Shack with a generous sized jar of Sea-Clear, THANK YOU! The list of ingredients does not disappoint: Organic non-GMO miso, raw apple cider vinegar, fermented kelp (Kombu), Chlorella, Tumeric, and Black pepper. I have experimented with fermenting vegetables on my own, but never kelp. I have a sour/salty/bitter friendly pallet so fermented or pickled anything always catches my eye, I also usually enjoy anything with two of my staples: miso and apple cider vinegar.

From the Shaman Shack website:
Rehmannia Dean Thomas developed this product over two years of experimentation, based on Japanese and Russian research, that fermented kelp could successfully remove radiation and heavy metals from the body. His intention was to create the most effecive metals chelating product available. This work eventually evolved into Sea-Clear; a blend of fermented Kelp and Chlorella in a sweet Miso base with apple cider vinegar, tumeric and more. This product is a 100% organic living food, enzyme and pro-biotic rich and has a tasty, tangy bite. Quite good on veggie sticks, crackers, or diluted in water or soup.
Sea-Cear may be one of the healthiest food products available, it makes a great trek food, as it does not spoil easily or quickly. Sea-Clear is a biologically stable product that can last in room temperature for a long time.

The packaging suggests eating Sea-Clear as a dip with veggies or crackers, so I sampled it with some beets and carrots first, the verdict? Really powerful, sea-salty taste with a strong kick of bitter that lingers into spicy, I loved it, but as just a dip it's a little strong. This would kill any salt cravings in a single bite, I couldn’t eat more than a few tablespoons this way. I was eager to try it next as a soup base, Sea-Clear could easily be added to any basic Miso recipe but I wanted to try something slightly more adventurous, so I adapted a recipe I love:

Blended Salad

2 tomatoes, roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
1 cucumber, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
1/2 lemon, juice of
2 cups lettuce
1 cup spinach
2 green onion
1/4 cup parsley
3 stalks of celery
1 small avocado
1 tablespoon Sea-Clear
1 teaspoon agave nectar (optional) *I use Yacon syrup
2 tablespoons dulse flakes
1 sheet of nori, shredded
1 tablespoon paprika *With the Sea-Clear this is totally optional

Blend the tomatoes first, until they turn liquid. Then add in the lemon juice, greens, and avocado, pushing with the celery stalks, until the entire mixture is blended. Last add Sea-Clear and the rest of the ingredients. This tasted lovely, had a great sweet and salty balance, I wouldn’t use more than a tablespoon of Sea-Clear here because of it’s potency.

Another Soup recipe I think it would make a nice addition to:

Autumn Earth Tonic Soup

1.5 cups spring water
1.5 cups tonic herbal tea (pau d'arco, chanca pierda, rhodiola, astragulus root, burdock root, kava kava, cat's claw, horsetail, nettle leaf or root, oatstraw, noni leaf, alfalfa)
1 tbsp Sea-Clear
2 tbsp miso (South River brand in glass)
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 stalk celery
2 cloves garlic
1-1.5 tbsp kelp powder
pinch of habanero or cayenne
sprinkle of turmeric powder
sprinkle of chia seeds and hemp seeds
sprinkle cordyceps mushroom powder

Blend on high until very creamy in a Vita-Mix.Top with diced avocado, sprinkle of black peppercorn, and sprinkle of fresh parsley. Don't leave out the avocado - there's something about adding it on top that adds to the creaminess and nourishing sensation of this tonic soup. Optional: squirt of Kyolic's aged garlic extract liquid and a small squeeze of lemon.


I also had a feeling it would also be great as a spread for leaf or nori rolls or just on some raw bread with veggies. This experiment was also a success!





Nutritional Info.
Serving size 1 tsp
Calories 30
Total fat 1.6 g
Saturated fat 0
Trans Fat 0
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 770 mg *
Total Carbohydrates 4g
Diety Fiber 6g
Sugars 4g
Protein 4g
Potassium 55mg

Iron 6%
Vitamin A o%
Vitamin C 1%
Calcium 2%

* Here lies the trade off for delicious sea products, a high level of sodium, sort of. The sodium content in Sea-Clear is from natural sea salt so it's the healthy variety which your body requires, in small amounts :)

Kelp
Kelp grows in underwater "forests" in shallow oceans. It requires nutrient-rich water. Kombu is used to flavor broths and stews (especially dashi), as a savory garnish for rice and other dishes, as a vegetable, and a primary ingredient in popular snacks. Kombu can be used to soften beans during cooking, and to help convert indigestible sugars and thus reduce flatulence.

Chlorella
Chlorella is an attractive food source because it is high in protein and other essential nutrients; when dried, it is about 45% protein, 20% fat, 20% carbohydrate, 5% fiber, and 10% minerals and vitamins. Chlorella has been found to have anti-tumor properties when fed to mice. Another study found enhanced vascular function in hypertensive rats given oral doses of chlorella.


Miso
Miso (みそ or 味噌?) is a traditional Japanese seasoning produced by fermenting rice, barley and/or soybeans, with salt and the fungus kōjikin (麹菌?), the most typical miso being made with soy. The result is a thick paste used for sauces and spreads, pickling vegetables or meats, and mixing with dashi soup stock to serve as miso soup called Misoshiru (味噌汁?), a Japanese culinary staple. High in protein and rich in vitamins and minerals, miso played an important nutritional role in feudal Japan. Miso is still very widely used in Japan, both in traditional and modern cooking, and has been gaining world-wide interest. Miso is typically salty, but its flavor and aroma depend on various factors in the ingredients and fermentation process. Different varieties of miso have been described as salty, sweet, earthy, fruity, and savory, and there is an extremely wide variety of miso available. Some, especially proponents of healthy eating, suggest that miso can help treat radiation sickness, citing cases in Japan and Russia where people have been fed miso after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Notably, Japanese doctor Shinichiro Akizuki, director of Saint Francis Hospital in Nagasaki during World War II, theorized that miso helps protect against radiation sickness.[6]

Some experts suggest that miso is a source of Lactobacillus acidophilus[7] Lecithin, a kind of phospholipid caused by fermentation, is effective in the prevention of high blood pressure. However, miso is also relatively high in salt which can contribute to increased blood pressure.


Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is said to clear ailments such as gout, poor complexion and acne, arthritis, candida, high cholesterol, warts, varicose veins, allergies, burns, and other ailments.
Mass of "mother" from an Orleans method vinegar tank. It is the cellulosic material the bacteria form on the surface, including dead bacterial matter.

Unpasteurized or organic apple cider vinegar may have a cob web, congealed appearance. This is natural, formed during the acetification process. This substance is often called "mother of vinegar" which is actually detritus from the bacterial colony.

* All information taken from Wikipedia, not a medical resource.

When I finally ‘clear’ this jar of Sea-Clear out, and I have a feeling it will be soon, I’ll be interested to try out their Pearl powder next! You can order Sea-Cear here:

the Shaman Shack's Sea-Clear

Enjoy!


xo Stephany


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