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HERO ID
6636746
Reference Type
Journal Article
Title
The ethnobotany of edible seaweed (Porphyra abbottae and related species; Rhodophyta : Bangiales) and its use by First Nations on the Pacific Coast of Canada
Author(s)
Turner, NJ
Year
2003
Is Peer Reviewed?
Yes
Journal
Canadian Journal of Botany
ISSN:
0008-4026
EISSN:
1480-3305
Volume
81
Issue
4
Page Numbers
283-293
Language
English
DOI
10.1139/B03-029
Web of Science Id
WOS:000183042100001
Abstract
Porphyra abbottae Krishnamurthy is a nutritionally and culturally important species of red alga used by First Peoples of coastal British Columbia and neighbouring areas. This species, along with Porphyra torta and possibly others, is still harvested from wild populations in large quantities, dried and processed, and served in a variety of ways: toasted as a snack, cooked with clams, salmon eggs, or fish in soup, or sprinkled on other foods as a condiment. It is also a valued trade and gift item, especially on the central and northern coasts of British Columbia and Alaska. Common linguistic origin of the majority of names for this species among some 16 language groups in five language families indicates widespread exchange of knowledge about this seaweed from southern Vancouver Island north to Alaska. Coastal indigenous people have expressed concerns about potential commercialization of Porphyra and impacts from pollution and global climate change.
Keywords
Porphyra abbottae; Northwest Coast; traditional food; Aboriginal people; marine algae; edible seaweed
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