“I’m the sea moss man. Allyuh, $10 per bag! What do you want? “Ah, have some nice sea moss today,” says a marchand (seller) at a public market in Trinidad, one half of the twin island country of Trinidad and Tobago. He is holding sacks packed with brownish strands of seaweed. This sea moss, the most valuable seaweed in the Caribbean, is likely to be turned in local households into a great cooling, milky, spicy drink or punch.
Sea moss punch is popular throughout the islands, at any time of year. Vitamin-rich beverages are extremely important for replenishing the body’s nutrition, especially in high temperatures.
Sea moss, which has been used as a healing elixir by indigenous Caribs and Arawaks for ages, is naturally bland and has a mild sea flavor.
Sea moss must be properly prepared. First, it is sun-dried. “Once you dry it and store it properly, it’s bound to last 10, 15, 20 years,” says John Lewis, who occasionally organizes excursions highlighting sea moss, among other gems, in the village of Matelot in collaboration with The National Trust of Trinidad & Tobago.
When the dried sea moss is ready for use, it is soaked, cooked, and chilled to allow the agar, a natural thickening agent known as “gel” in the area, to emerge.
For as long as anyone can remember, “punch men” have been selling sea moss punch around the islands.
