San Hu Cao ~ Eucheuma Seaweed

There are many usages in Sea bird nest (Eucheuma Seaweed), also San Hu Cao in chinese.

It is sea vegetable. The marine plant of this organic seaweed is rich in enzyme nutrients, collagen and mineral substance, calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, sodium and multitude fibers and jelly form proteins.

It is especially good for skin care, vegetarian diet and daily fiber diet intake. It grows naturally and contains no artificial fertilizer or chemical. With contain necessary amino acids, non caloric, super low-fat and multi-fibre functions, contents of soluble fibre are very high and the active substances, its polar soluble fibre will adjust insulin to keep blood sugar’s balance and prevent from the diabetes caused by hyperglycemia. It also eliminates free radical efficiently for detoxify body organs and activate cell tissues for metabolism and anti-aging.

Instead of buying expensive bird nest, I prefer to use Eucheuma seaweed to cook with rock sugar. For beauty skin and mainly it keeps me in good health too. It is simply delicious.

How the Eucheuma Seaweed looks like? And what are the benefits?

This is unwashed Eucheuma seaweed image. It has a very characteristic shape.

In Asia, Chinese and Japanese have a long history to take seaweed and algae as the herbs of the sea, it is widely used as food and medicine, and we pay much attention to nutrition and health care recently.

Eucheuma Seaweed is significance for human health and function greatly.  

The popular sources for carrageenan can be obtained from Eucheuma Seaweed, and it is merely soluble in water which need be at only such temperature as to dissolve the carrageenan composition, extract the active materials for industrial usage, and with great consumption of seaweed for people's living standard has improved and pursued for health foods and health care purposes. Seaweed is natural medicines and disease curing effects on human bodies since thousand of years ago. As there are various types of seaweed in the market now.

For Industrial usage:

1. It can be used as raw material carrageen industry. The most important substance called carrageenan also commonly known as seaweed flour.
   
2. It can be used as emulsifier, stabilizer agent, gel agent for food industry such as this substance is used in the manufacture of ice cream, chocolates, custards, cake topping and fillings, milk shakes, yogurts, dessert gel, canned foods, fish gel, sauces, and many others.
3. It can be used as water based paints, toothpastes, lotions, shampoos, several pharmaceutical products.

For health and beauty care:

This nutritious Sea Bird Nest is best to eat it raw as salad and blend in fruit juice, plus cooking dessert, Jelly, and cooling drinks.

Eucheuma Seaweed nutrition details (per 100g):

Calcium	671 mg
Iron	671 mg
Magnesium	661 mg
phosphorus	139 mg
Sodium	6.31%
Salinity	15.7%
Ph on 4% solution	7.6%
Energy	266 kcal
Protein	0.73g
Carbohydrate	59.9g
Total Lipid	0.05g
Water	91.32g
Fiber	0.5g
Ash	1.36g

Eucheuma Seaweed may promote the oxidation resistance enzyme's activeness, strengthens the liver disintoxicating function, elimination free radical; The suitable supplement (magnesium, zinc, selenium, sulfur, germanium) and so on, it may also carry on the opposing reaction with in vivo heavy metal, heavy metal of toxin in vivo accumulation, discharges in vitro by way of the excretory system. It is very effective for constipation people, and it adjust the body weight, when after human body nonessential waste disposal, the body weight reduces naturally.

In short, Eucheuma / Sea Bird Nest Benefits :

• It adjustments body acidity
• Help to reduce cholesterol
• It is diuretic and good source of low caloric diet
• Good curative powers for neck pain and edema.
• It has antibacterial power, expulsion of toxin
• It helps to prevent thyroid and hair loss
• Prevent constipation
• Long term gastrointestinal disease, like stomach ache, ulcer, constipation, diarrhea, hyper acidity, dyspepsia and so on.
• improvement hypertension and the hypo-tension
• enables the thyroid gland function normalization
• to eliminates nephritis effectively, arthritis,
• Strengthens the blood vessel, promotion blood circulation.
• improves rheumatism
• Suitable supplement of natural collagen for joint cartilage, strengthens the physique and ligament, improves problem on joint ache and backache.
• natural organic sea plant for vegetarian and older age for its supplement in rich calcium and iron.
• Ideal weight lost diet for pre-menopause and obesity peoples.
  

Now, what my simply senz recipes with San Hu Cao, Sea bird nest or Eucheuma Seaweed, is what I prepared here with Eucheuma Raw Salad, desserts, cooling drink and Jelly and it is so yummy!!

Firstly, San Hu Cao (Eucheuma Seaweed) is dried and you need to soak it before you can use it. Those unwashed Eucheuma seaweed takes time to soak and keep changing water for at least few hours or 3 days and depends. 

Soaking in water and remember keep changing water at least 3 - 4 times.

After 5 hours of soaking and washed. For making salad, I will soak it for 5 hours and maintain its crunchy.

For making Jelly and drink, I prefer to soak it for 3 days and change water daily for making Jelly.

Simply San Hu Cao Salad

Ingredients A:

• Eucheuma Seaweed 20g
• Korean Seaweed 20 g
  
• ½ Cucumber (shredded)
• 1 Tomato (cut in small cube size)
• 1 Green Apple (shredded)
• ½ Carrot (shredded)
• 1 Lemon (optional)
• Toasted White Sesame seed
• Celery (cut in small portion)

Toss soaked seaweed with cucumbers, greens, toasted sesame oil and your favorite seasonings,

Ingredients B:

• Sesame Oil
• Chili sauce
• Chili water (optional)
• Kumquat Lemon vinegar with honey or vinegar (I prefer to use kumquat)
• Light soy sauce

Procedures for making raw salad with Eucheuma (Shan Hu Cao) Seaweed:

1. Soak Eucheuma Seaweed in fresh water for over night and change water several times, keep changing water and washed many times with running water before you eat it raw or cook it.
2. Drain in running water and cut into desire length.
3. Blanch in lukewarm water for 5 minutes

4. Cut all Ingredients into smaller slices. Prepare for use.

5. Mixed all ingredients A into a bowl.Toss soaked Eucheuma and korean seaweed with all ingredients A and mixed well with Ingredients B for seasoning. Except the white sesame seed and celery.

6. Place in a plate and sprinkle toasted white sesame seed and celery on top of salad and served.

My beauty Tips
 

The Ideal ways for Internal and external usage of Eucheuma Seaweed (shan Hu Cao/Sea Bird Nest) for beauty and weight lost.

For external usage: Eucheuma Seaweed Facial Mud DIY

For Beauty: After taking this little coral grass ~ Eucheuma Seaweed and soaks softly, use the juice extractor blend it into thin mud, spreads on the face, after 15 minutes washed off, it might improve and soften skin nature.

For Weight lost:

Its rich fiber and low quantity of calories, also provide for thought lose weight friend to take it as the ideal weight lost meal, take it with the empty stomach its edible effect is good, not only reduce the body weight effectively, it also remove and detoxifying toxin. Preferable to take it with empty stomach for better result.

To be continue.....Jelly, dessert and cooling drinks with Eucheuma Seaweed.