Norway Women Bring Seaweed to Culinary Heights in Europe

Lofoten Seaweed co-founder Angelita Eriksen picks kelp from the icy Norwegian waters. Olivier MORIN / AFP
Lofoten Seaweed co-founder Angelita Eriksen picks kelp from the icy Norwegian waters. Olivier MORIN / AFP
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Norway Women Bring Seaweed to Culinary Heights in Europe

Lofoten Seaweed co-founder Angelita Eriksen picks kelp from the icy Norwegian waters. Olivier MORIN / AFP
Lofoten Seaweed co-founder Angelita Eriksen picks kelp from the icy Norwegian waters. Olivier MORIN / AFP

In the glacial waters of the Lofoten archipelago in Norway's far north, Angelita Eriksen uses a knife to cut a handful of seaweed that will soon end up in a fancy European eatery.
"We have the cleanest and clearest waters in the world. We're very lucky that we have this really important resource growing right outside our doorstep," Eriksen told AFP in a cabin on the shores of the northern Atlantic Ocean where the seaweed is laid out to dry.
"We want to show that to the world."
The daughter of a Norwegian fisherman, Eriksen joined forces with New Zealand-born Tamara Singer, whose Japanese mother served seaweed with almost every meal, to start the company Lofoten Seaweed -- specializing in harvesting and preparing seaweed for the food industry.
With the help of six others, they hand-pick 11 tons of seaweed a year, the snow-capped mountains plummeting into the sea behind them in a dramatic tableau.
It's a demanding and "physical job", said Eriksen.
The peak season runs from late April until June, but "we harvest the dulse, the nori and the sea truffle in the winter and fall".
"It can be quite cold, as we can stay out for about an hour along the shore", with lower legs and hands submerged in the chilly water.
By "late May, I'm actually sweating in my suit".
One time, she said, "I took my glove off and the steam was just rising up".
"It's physically hard but at the same time it's very meditative, or therapeutic in a way, to harvest," she says.
'Delicate'
Truffle seaweed, winged kelp, nori, dulse, sugar kelp, oarweed kelp: the pair focus on about 10 types of seaweed, long eaten in Japan and increasingly popular in Europe for their nutritional qualities.
The seaweed is sold locally or shipped to gourmet restaurants in Norway and the rest of Europe.
The two women organize workshops to teach chefs about the different varieties and the qualities of each type.
"Seaweeds are like vegetables, they have their own texture, taste and colors," says Singer.
She said it was a "huge surprise" how many European chefs had little or no knowledge of the different flavors and ways of preparing seaweed.
The duo have worked with Japanese chefs "who know exactly what to do, you don't have to tell them anything".
"It's just so natural for them. It's like giving a piece of fish to a North Norwegian," says Singer.
Some 20 kilometers (12 miles) away, chef Josh Wing has been serving the pair's products in his high-end restaurant Hattvika Lodge for about five years.
He is well versed and does not need to take part in their workshops anymore.
Wing is particularly fond of the dulse, a "very delicate purple seaweed", which he serves with local fish dishes or bread.
It "can provide a physical texture in a dish that you can't get from other products", he tells AFP.
To ensure that their business is sustainable, Eriksen and Singer have mapped and dated their harvest sites, as well as the volumes of each species, for the past four years.
"Our results show that the regrowth in recently-harvested patches is actually faster than anticipated, almost as if a harvest actually stimulates growth," says Singer.



British Royals Greet Crowds at Colosseum During Italy Visit

Britain's King Charles III and Britain's Queen Camilla greet people outside the Colosseum in Rome, on April 8, 2025. (AFP)
Britain's King Charles III and Britain's Queen Camilla greet people outside the Colosseum in Rome, on April 8, 2025. (AFP)
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British Royals Greet Crowds at Colosseum During Italy Visit

Britain's King Charles III and Britain's Queen Camilla greet people outside the Colosseum in Rome, on April 8, 2025. (AFP)
Britain's King Charles III and Britain's Queen Camilla greet people outside the Colosseum in Rome, on April 8, 2025. (AFP)

King Charles and his wife Queen Camilla greeted crowds on Tuesday as they visited the Colosseum and Roman Forum on the second day of a state visit which is aimed at reinforcing close ties between Britain and Italy.

Charles, who is paying his 17th official visit to Italy, is on his first overseas trip this year as he continues to undergo treatment for cancer.

The British Red Arrows and Italian Frecce Tricolori aerobatic teams staged a rare joint flypast to mark the event, with Charles and Camilla watching the display alongside Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinale Palace.

"It is important to have good relations with European countries," said British tourist Jonathan Smith as he showed a picture on his telephone of the planes sweeping over the heart of Rome, multi-colored smoke flowing behind them.

Britain quit the European Union in 2020 and the royal visit is seen as part of an ongoing effort by London to ease the pain of the Brexit divorce with its old EU allies.

US President Donald Trump's move to impose sweeping tariffs on imports from around the world, while simultaneously questioning Washington's military commitment to Europe, has underscored the need for old European partners to continue to work together.

"I think it is great for the Anglo-Italian relationship, particularly given the current climate around the world," said British tourist John Forde near the Colosseum, when asked about the royal visit.

A group of children waved British flags as the royal couple walked towards the forum, from where they could enjoy a view of the Colosseum from a terrace.

Alberto Angela, a well-known Italian television personality and host of science and history shows, guided the king and queen during their brief visit to the forum, which served as the political, religious and commercial heart of ancient Rome.

"This is a place of big history... and having the queen and the king coming here makes sense," Angela told reporters after the royals left.

During their first full day in Rome, the king and queen also laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Charles is due to meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday and then address a joint session of parliament -- the first British monarch to be given this honor.

Charles and Camilla also mark their 20th wedding anniversary on Wednesday and they will spend the evening at a state banquet hosted by Mattarella at his Quirinale residence.