Irish Moss Powder

Powdered Irish moss, Chondrus crispus, a red seaweed off cold Atlantic shorelines. Ground and packed by hand into 2 ounce packages at our farm in Opp, Alabama.

What is Irish moss?

A red seaweed that grows on rock in cold Atlantic water and has been gathered along the Irish coast for centuries. It is the plant carrageenan comes from, and the reason it turns up in so many kitchens is simple. Soaked and blended, it thickens. Irish cooks were setting puddings with it long before anyone put it in a smoothie.

How do people use the powder?

The powder is the fast version of what people call sea moss gel. Whisk about a teaspoon into warm liquid and let it stand, and it thickens as it hydrates. It goes into smoothies, oatmeal, soup and homemade puddings, and it brings almost no flavor along with it, which is what you want from it. If you have ever made gel from whole Irish moss you know the soaking and the blending it takes. This skips that.

What does it taste like?

Very little. A faint mineral note if you use a lot, and nothing much at the amounts most people use. It is a texture ingredient more than a flavor one.

Where does this one come from?

We do not harvest this. Irish moss grows on cold Atlantic rock, which Alabama does not have, so we buy it in and grind and pack it here in Opp. Same answer as our bladderwrack. We would rather tell you than let a farm-direct label cover something we did not grow.

Anything to know before using it?

Irish moss carries iodine the way other seaweeds do, and the amount varies. If you are managing a thyroid condition, are pregnant or nursing, or take medication, ask your own provider first. Start with a small amount and see how it sits with you.