Dulse / Dillisk

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Phylum : Rhodophyta

Order : Palmariales

Family : Palmariaceae

Genus : Palmaria

Species Name : Palmaria palmata

Common name : Dulse / Dillisk / tang

©Prof Mike Guiry

Dulse / Dillisk growing on Irish shores

The red seaweed / macroalgae Dulse / Dillisk ( Palmaria palmata ) has been used for centuries in Ireland - particularly on the North and West coast of Ireland and in Northern Ireland.

This has been taken from a poem from the 12th Century

Seal ag buain duilisg do charraig,
seal ag aclaidh,
seal ag tabhairt bhídh do bhoctaibh,
seal i gcaracair.

A while gathering dulse / dillisk from the rock,
a while fishing,
a while giving food to the poor,
a while in a cell.

This red Irish seaweed is hand harvested from all around Ireland's shores. It is gathered at low water / tide and was traditionally air dried along the shore.

With the lovely Irish weather (!!) that we have, Dolphin Sea Vegetable Company initially installed an indoor drying system to dry Dulse / Dillisk ( Palmaria palmata ) so that we were not dependant on the weather.

We have developed the system so that each Irish seaweed has a different drying regime to preserve texture and taste while reducing the moisture content.

The Auld Lammas Fair

One of the main fairs / occasions of the summer in Northern Ireland is the Auld Lammas Fair in Ballycastle, Co Antrim. This traditional fair, held the last Monday and Tuesday in August dates back 1612 and is also a horse fair and attracts thousands of people to Ballycastle.

Dulse and yellowman - a hard sticky yellow toffee are the "traditions" of the Auld Lammas Fair.

There is an old song / poem and it goes

Did you treat your Mary Ann to some dulse and yellowman,
At the Auld Lammas Fair in Ballycastle-O?

The recipe for Yellowman can be found here

http://www.irelandseye.com/aarticles/culture/recipes/cooking/yellow.shtm

Dulse can be eaten raw - it is traditionally eaten as a snack food in Northern Ireland and along the North and West Coasts of Ireland.

With the recent interest in macroalgae / seaweeds and their health benefits - seaweeds are more easily digested and contain more vitamins, nutrients and minerals weight for weight that land plants, many seaweeds have been introduced into recipes & food and Dulse / Dillisk be used in salads and throughout cooking - more ideas and recipes can be found on our recipe page.

Recipes for Dulse - click here

Dulse has many uses including :-

• Food - as an additive, ground whole and consumed whole.
• Health and Cosmetics - as a mineral supplement - it contains ascorbic acid (vitamin C)
• Animal Feed

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