Now let's clarify the concepts of macroalgae vs microalgae and seaweed.
For you die-hard seaweed lovers, this goes without saying, but for many it can be confusing. So let's clear this up in a nutshell.
Algae is a collective name for organisms belonging to different parts of the groups bacteria, protists and plants. There are hundreds of thousands of algae and only a fraction have been explored. Algae are classified as macro- or micro-algae depending on whether they are microscopic or visible to the naked eye. We have all eaten algae in some form without knowing it. Many E substances in food are actually algae, E402, E405, E406, E407, E408, these are often used as texture enhancers, flavour enhancers and colouring agents.
Microalgae
Microalgae are small marine plants and are what we see when there is an algal bloom, but they are also pure health food such as algal spirulina and chlorella.
Seaweed is macroalgae
Large algae that we can see are therefore called seaweed. Seaweed is a collective name for algae divided into three groups: brown, red and green. In Sweden and the northern hemisphere, all seaweed is edible and there are around 300 varieties, about 20 of which are good to eat. Some favourites are the green seaweed - sea salad, the red seaweed - söl (also called sea bacon) and the brown seaweed - sugar kelp! It's just the sugar kelp that we grow on a large scale here at Nordic Seafarm and the sea lettuce is on its way.
Seaweed is not = seaweed
Seaweed, on the other hand, is something completely different and is inedible for us humans. It's a sloppy translation from the English word "seaweed" and we don't do that.
In summary, we can say algae, macroalgae & seaweed when it comes to what we can see with our eyes and that's what we grow here at Nordic Seafarm. Then we agree that we don't say seaweed, the "sea cows" can munch on that themselves or those who think it's good.