What is Limu (Limu)?
Limu, otherwise known as rimu or ʻimu is a general Polynesian term for edible plants living underwater, such as seaweed, or plants living near water, like algae. In Hawaii, there are approximately one hundred names for kinds of limu, sixty of which can be matched with scientific names.
What is limu kohu made of?
The essential oil of limu kohu is 80% bromoform (tri-bromo-methane) by weight, and includes many other bromine - and iodine -containing organic compounds. In 2014, researchers at CSIRO and James Cook University demonstrated that feeding ruminants a diet containing one to two percent red seaweed reduced their methane emissions by over 90 percent.
What is the future of limu kohu?
Most limu kohu purchased today is dried and salted to be used as an ingredient in seasonings for fish dishes such as poke. Limu kohu’s future is threatened in large part due to the lack of knowledge of sustainable harvesting methods: To properly harvest limu kohu, the stalks must be broken from the stem without removing the base of the plant.
What is limu kohu seaweed?
Known as the “supreme” or “pleasing” seaweed, limu kohu has a penetrating iodine flavor that makes it suitable as a seasoning for raw fish, raw liver, and stewed beef recipes.
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Is Limu KOHU good for you?
Eaten alongside fish and poi (fermented taro paste), limu provided a diversity of flavor and nutrients – including riboflavin and vitamins A, B12, and C – in the traditional Hawaiian diet. Limu is used as a condiment (often mixed with inamona) or eaten as a vegetable, added to salads, stews, meat, and raw fish dishes.
What is limu in Hawaiian?
Limu, otherwise known as rimu or ʻimu is a general Polynesian term for edible plants living underwater, such as seaweed, or plants living near water, like algae. In Hawaii, there are approximately one hundred names for kinds of limu, sixty of which can be matched with scientific names.
What does Limu KOHU look like?
Red seaweeds are usually pinkish or purplish in color, reflecting their additional reddish and bluish pigments. Limu kohu, Asparagopsis taxiformis, is a red algae that lives in water to about 45 feet (15m).
What is limu Palahalaha?
Seaweeds, called limu in Hawaiian, include a wide variety of marine algae. These marine plants are the basis of the food web on reefs and rocky shores. In Hawai'i, limu are found in many marine environments from tidepools to deep reef slopes.
What kind of seaweed is limu?
Dictyopteris plagiogramma, and D. australis are two species of brown seaweed given the Hawaiian name limu līpoa, and both are found in shallow water reef flats and in deeper water. Limu līpoa was traditionally eaten heavily salted and preserved.
What is limu used for?
Limu are served as vegetables in stews, poke, and salads; as condiments, adding zest to the meals; and are an important source of minerals, and vitamins, including vitamins A, C, B12, and riboflavin.
Can you freeze limu?
They studied using different temperatures, keeping the limu in light and dark, heat treatments and more. They found that when kept just above freezing, the samples went limp and changed color after just one night. At 18 degrees Fahrenheit above freezing, the color changes occurred after a couple of days.
What was the ritual in which the limu kala was used?
Limu kala was also used for cleansing: a kahu, or priest, would purify a person, object, or place by sprinkling a mixture of ʻolena (turmeric) and salt water with the limu. This ritual was commonly used following the burial of a relative, when someone who had been with the body prior to burial had to be cleansed.
Where can I find limu kala?
Limu kala is also used to drive away sickness. It can be found growing in tide pools and reef flats.
What is the flavor of limu kohu?
Limu kohu has a bitter taste, somewhat reminiscent of iodine, and is a traditional ingredient in poke . The essential oil of limu kohu is 80% bromoform (tri-bromo-methane) by weight, and includes many other bromine - and iodine -containing organic compounds.
What is a limu poke?
Ahi limu poke. Asparagopsis is one of the most popular types of limu. in the cuisine of Hawaii, it is principally a condiment. It is known as Limu kohu in the Hawaiian language meaning "pleasing seaweed". Limu kohu has a bitter taste, somewhat reminiscent of iodine, and is a traditional ingredient in poke .
Overview
Asparagopsis taxiformis, (red sea plume or limu kohu) formerly A. sanfordiana, is a species of red algae, with cosmopolitan distribution in tropical to warm temperate waters. Researchers have demonstrated that feeding ruminants a diet containing one to two percent red seaweed reduced their methane emissions by over 90 percent. Of 20 types of seaweed tested, A. taxiformis showed the mos…
Lifecycle
Like many red algae, A. taxiformis has a haplodiplophasic lifecycle, with each phase morphologically distinct. The species' haploid stage was initially described as Falkenbergia hillebrandii (Bornet) Falkenberg 1901 because it was thought to be a separate species. The resources which are needed for the red algae to continue to grow is very complicated.
Culinary uses
Asparagopsis is one of the most popular types of limu. in the cuisine of Hawaii, it is principally a condiment. It is known as Limu kohu in the Hawaiian language, meaning "pleasing seaweed". Limu kohu has a bitter taste, somewhat reminiscent of iodine, and is a traditional ingredient in poke.
The essential oil of limu kohu is 80% bromoform (tri-bromo-methane) by weight…
Methane emissions reduction in cattle
In 2014, researchers at CSIRO and James Cook University demonstrated that feeding ruminants a diet containing one to two percent red seaweed reduced their methane emissions by over 90 percent. Of 20 types of seaweed tested, A. taxiformis showed the most promise, with nearly 99 percent effectiveness.
The findings spurred interest from leading academic and trade organizations t…
See also
• Algaculture – Aquaculture involving the farming of algae
• Edible seaweed – Algae that can be eaten and used for culinary purposes
• Limu (algae) – Edible plants living under water or near water
External links
• Edible Limu of Hawaii
• Greener Grazing
• iNaturalist, especially for more photos.
• Guiry, M.D.; Guiry, G.M. "'Asparagopsis taxiformis'". AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway.