Of all the vegetables, the best is made from kelp

Healthyish Loves It’s our weekly column where we tell you the things we can’t live without. Check out our previous recommendations Here!

I love a good burger, but I’m always interested in the bread (must be a potato roll) and condiments (charred onions, Dijon, and mushy tomatoes, please!) of any patty in between. So when I decided to start eating less meat, the veggie burger was an obvious trade-off. I knew I was going to find some delicious options – and I did – but I didn’t expect to find a burger that I really crave. and me sure I did not expect This burger is made with kelp.

The veggie burger I’m talking about is the latest version of God, a company that sells kelp in the form of dried jerky Since 2019. What I love about these burgers, despite the fact that the ingredient list includes mushrooms, pea protein, black beans, and quinoa, is that their texture is uniform—no stray corn kernels or bean shells in sight. It’s chewy, salty, and smoky, and while nothing in the taste screams “seaweed,” there’s definitely a note of brine in there. In terms of size, this veggie burger is thick enough to make its presence known but thin enough to leave room for all that toppings that I love. I would eat it even if it wasn’t made with super awesome planet-saving seaweed.

A Quick Primer on Kelp: When it’s farmed in the ocean, kelp is crop without input, which means it doesn’t need watering, fertilizing or feeding in any way, nor does it need clean land to grow – it’s under the sea! And not only does kelp maintain less epidemic haircutting, it also gives back: the crop pulls carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. According to the BBC, scientists estimate that seaweed of all kinds (including kelp!) traps nearly 200 million tons of greenhouse gases each year — the equivalent of New York State’s total annual emissions. It’s so cute when Sustainability and pleasure We work together.

AKUA veggie burgers are shipped frozen and made straight from the freezer to the grill (or fryer). When I make it, I start with the onions first, then throw in the burgers five minutes before the alliums are charred to my taste. Just a few minutes on each side is enough to heat up the burgers and get a nice gravy. Then all that’s left to do is assemble and open up a cool Biff. AKUA, if you’re reading this, I have three words for you: Kelp beer, please.