For many of us, fighting with our taste buds and our fitness goals is a daily struggle.

We can all agree that the foods we crave are not always the best for our bodies. Bacon is of course a favorite food for many of us. Some will say that it’s a healthy snack and others will avoid anything that has to do with bacon altogether.

What if you found out that there was a seaweed that tasted just like bacon but with more health benefits than kale?

Health fans and bacon lovers around the world can now celebrate over a new discovery out of Oregon State. It appears that a miracle of taste and nutrition has happened.

Get this: a team of Oregon State researchers just found a new type of seaweed that when cooked tastes just like bacon, yes bacon!

The look of the new bacon flavored seaweed is similar to red lettuce, only it is more clear. This red algae might just be the next big thing.

So how healthy is it, really?

Well, the good news keeps getting better and better. Oregon State’s new amazing seaweed actually has TWICE the nutritional value of kale (everyone’s favorite superfood). Let’s be honest, kale isn’t the tastiest vegetable out there. Few foods have gained as much popularity and internet buzz in the last few years as bacon. Combining these new foods could create a major discovery in the food and health industry.

It’s not hard to believe that people are getting really excited about a strong, fiber packed seaweed that tastes like one of everyone’s favorite yummy meals.

This is pretty amazing news. Let’s go over this so far… So, it tastes like bacon, it’s healthier than kale and it’s not a joke.

When you say ‘twice as healthy as kale’, the word ‘delicious’ can be hard to believe. But let’s review this one more time, it tastes like bacon and has more nutritional value than kale…wow!

More good news? It even grows fast. Also just one more time, it’s completely natural.

Chris Langdon and his team of visionary Oregon State researchers are about to be famous from this bacon discovery. Like many great discoveries throughout history, the team stumbled upon a big break while looking for something totally different.

Check this out… this bacon flavored algae was found accidentally while researchers were looking for a better food source to support the Asian needs for the popular dish, edible sea snails (abalone).

They happened to try out this new type of red, apparently bacon flavored algae. Typically this new type of red algae’s habitat can be found the coastlines of the Atlantic and Pacific, but pretty soon we might just be finding it in grocery stores. This cloud be the next big ‘superfood,’ and it is possible it will be a bit pricey as soon as the buzz gets out… especially about the bacon part. (Yum)

Where Did They Find This Bacon Seaweed?

A friend of Langdon’s at Oregon State, Chuck Toombs took a closer look at live seaweed and found out that something quite bigger than abalone might be on their plate.

In an Oregon State press release, Toombs went as far as to suggest that the new type of seaweed could create a new industry for the state. This is hopeful for both health food lovers and Oregon’s local food economy.

Since this crowd pleasing find, Toombs joined forces with Ohio State University’s Food Innovation Center. The result? They came up with several foods featuring this healthy delicious seaweed.

Langdon stated that there are no companies in the US growing algae that people can eat, but apparently it’s no secret in other places in the world. It has been said that in northern Europe, people have been eating this red algae for hundreds of years.

Langdon said that even though no US companies grow red algae for people to eat, seaweed has been a popular dish by people in northern Europe for centuries.

It should come as no surprise that Langdon plays a major role in finding this delicious food from the sea. While we have not tried the dish, he says that the bacon flavor is not hard to miss since the flavor is so rich and strong.

It’s too early to say what it will take to bring this product to the market, but we know that we are curious and we are certainly not alone. Another cool thing is that vegan and vegetarians who have given up meat might enjoy the flavor without breaking the rules. But, even if you’re on a high fat, high protein diet, you still need vitamins and minerals.

Everyone who cares about their health needs a few secret weapons in their diet that combine the flavors we love with the nutrients we need. Whether it’s for moral or nutritional reasons, bacon just doesn’t work for some people. When you fry up this new red algae, the flavor is so tasty that you forget it’s good for you. So this is truly good news from the team at Ohio State and we couldn’t be more excited to try this dish out.

What’s Next For Bacon Seaweed?

Luckily for us, a team of MBA students who have been working with Toombs are already making a marketing plan to bring this new seaweed to our grocery stores, restaurants and kitchens. Now they are able to make 20 to 30 pounds of the new red algae each week but are looking to triple that amount.

Stay tuned for more updates and as soon as we find out where you can buy this delicious, nutritious red algae to satisfy that bacon fix, we’ll be sure to let you know where to find it! Please feel free to share comments if you’ve had a chance to try out some bacon flavored red algae!

Conclusion

Even though no tests have been done yet to find out whether selling bacon seaweed would be popular, the team thinks that people who are vegan and vegetarian would love it.

There is some red algae that is available to buy in the US now, but it is a different type from the one from OSU. We are excited to see what will happen next with this delicious bacon flavored seaweed!

-Terry Asher