Dr. Prannie Rhatigan and the revival of seaweed as a superfood
“I grew up on the west coast of Ireland, where the rhythm of the tides and the lore of the sea still provide a timeless backdrop to everyday life for many of us.” (Prannie Rhatigan)
Seaweed has always played an important role in the cultural, culinary and spiritual life of the Irish people. For thousands of years, they have farmed, bathed and cooked with seaweed. Prannie Rhatigan is leading the revival of seaweed as a superfood.
When we arrived in Cliffony nearly 40 years ago it didn’t take long to hear about Prannie Rhatigan, who was born and brought up in the village. And it didn’t take long to connect over the love for food and the natural environment leading to many collaborations, most notably the week long “Learn how to live the Good Life” courses from 2003 to 2010 at The Organic Centre, the “Seaweed Extravaganza” (2005 -2008) and the Irish Fermentation Festivals 2016 and 2017.
The Beginnings
Prannie grew up with seaweed and remembers being taken by her father to harvest on the foreshore. After becoming a medical doctor Prannie moved back to Streedagh, the home of her husband Johnny Waters, who also knows a thing or two about marine life and macroalgae.
Back by the seashore, Prannie once again indulged her love of seaweeds and began bringing friends down to the shore to share some of her secrets. While working at The Organic Centre we organised guided seaweed walks and courses with Prannie as part of the educational programme from 2004 onwards.
Over 600 varieties of seaweed grow wild in Ireland and seaweed has long been used in coastal areas to provide fertiliser for growing potatoes, but seaweed is a food, a sea vegetable. And it is this aspect, the culinary uses and the nutritional benefits that Prannie has brought to the forefront in her work.
Her course notes eventually became a book, The Irish Seaweed Kitchen, published in 2009, the most comprehensive guide to healthy everyday cooking with seaweeds
Education about Seaweed
Prannie’s walks, courses, talks and her books started the re-emergence of seaweed as a superfood and brings Sligo’s seaweed to an international audience. Prannie is – in our view - the leading Irish seaweed expert and an ambassador for Irish seaweed all over the world, collaborating with chefs and foodies worldwide, and generally helping to develop the seaweed sector.
Her most recent personal work includes exploring the links between genetics, the environment and the benefits of live foods on enhancing health and well-being. She holds a BA Honours degree in psychology (NUI Galway), a medical degree (NUI Cork) and is a qualified General Practitioner (MICGP). She now works mainly in Public Health Medicine.
Prannie and Johnny along with their youngest daughter Hannah lead seaweed walks along the shoreline near Sligo, sharing seaweed wisdom, history, cooking and nutritional information with groups of people that include both tourists curious about the virtues of seaweed and local people who remember the tales their grandparents told them about seaweed and are interested in contributing to its revival.
For more information go to irishseaweedkitchen.ie
Here we have Prannie Uncovered
1. What is your favourite food? It’s got to be soup! Ideally fish stock packed with land and sea vegetables but any stock will do. A comforting warm hug in a bowl.
2. Finish the sentence seaweed is a powerhouse of nutrients. As well as tasting amazing it has great texture and has been described as the most nutritious form of vegetation on the planet.
3. The country you travel for food: Japan was probably the most interesting. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Miso soup and soused mackarel wrapped in seaweed for BREAKFAST and it just got better and better as the day went on.
4. Three things you always have in your larder/fridge? Organic Greek olive oil, garlic and our own dried seaweed blend of red, greens and browns. Anyone for seaweed pesto?
5. What is your most used gadget? A spiralizer in summertime to make pasta out of the glut of courgettes. and in Winter- probably the garlic crusher.
6. Do you read cookbooks and which one do you come back to? I love reading cookbooks and like many people have a library to dip into. Special mention to Gaby’s Neantog Cookbook, which is a rock of sense:
The lemonades throughout spring and summer… the bean burgers for winter fare. I regularly manage to kill off my sourdough starter for the rye bread and Gaby and Hans rescue me with a fresh one every time!
7. Who is your inspiration (not necessarily from the food world)? Dr. Peter D’Adamo Naturopathic Doctor, pioneering health guru and author of Eat right 4 your Blood Type books whos tireless research and work has kept me focused on healthy living. He created The Center for Generative Medicine to fuse rigorous science with patient-centered care and his work has changed the lives of many. His dedication to improving health and wellness is truly inspiring. I look forward to the day he receives a Nobel Prize for Medicine because he truly deserves it.
8. What are you currently listening to? Radio , radio, and more radio. Sometimes I find it hard to get out of the car when I reach work because I have to turn off the radio. Love the eclectic mix of news, documentaries and music.
9. Something people don’t know about you? People may not know that every year for the last 10 years i have taken on some challenge to throw me right outside my comfort zone. Something to send shivers down my spine. Sea swimming through winter is one that I have kept going into my 4 th year now but last year I challenged myself to performing 2 poems in Feis Shligigh. It was in the Yeats Poetry competition. It was exciting and scary in equal measure. I was thrilled to be placed 3 rd. I need to pick what challenge next year will bring.
10. What will be hot in 2024? Hard to predict. I always think seaweed will take off and it baffles me that everyone doesn’t eat 5 grams of dried seaweed to get the enormous health benefits.
