Gummies are delicious, with a
texture unlike any other candy. What is the secret to this
gooey, goopy, tasty treat? The answer can be found in the
Philippines and other coastal regions of Asia. That’s where
thousands of small-scale fishermen have taken up seaweed farming
as a way to make extra money. And seaweed, as you will see, is
what makes gummy candies so gummy!
The coastal areas of Asia
have long been home to fishermen, since fishing traditionally
provides both a means of income and food for families. But
recently, too many people are fishing too much. As a result, the
fish populations are shrinking at a rapid rate. This presents
grave implications for the fishermen, the economy, the
environment, and of course the fish! So some fishermen are
searching for new, more sustainable ways to make a living. And
seaweed is proving to be just the ticket!
Seaweed has actually been
harvested and eaten in Asia for centuries. In places like China,
Korea and Japan, seaweed is part of the everyday diet. In these
countries, people often harvest the seaweed from wild-growing
plants rather than cultivating it. But for many years in the
Philippines and Indonesia, folks have been cultivating the
seaweed in small underwater farms. This type of underwater
farming is called “aquaculture”.
Seaweed is extremely
nutritious. Some types of seaweed also have a unique capability:
certain chemicals in them cause liquids to thicken and become
gooey and gelatinous. One such chemical is called carageenan,
and it is used in many foods to make them thicker and more
stable at different temperatures. Now this might sound weird,
but there are lots of times we want liquids to become thicker or
even solid – like when making gummy candy, for example!
In the 1970s, a worldwide
demand arose for carageenan and other seaweed extracts.
Fishermen in the Philippines realized that there was a big
market for special types of seaweed like Euchemia cottonii
(which carageenan is derived from), and many of them took up
seaweed farming as a result. Today, seaweed farmers in the
Philippines grow 80% of the world’s carageenan, and they get a
good price for it because of the high demand. Another benefit is
that since most of the carageenan is grown by small-scale,
independent farmers, the income goes directly to the families
who grow it. And thankfully, since growing seaweed doesn’t hurt
the environment like fishing does, it is a sustainable and
eco-friendly business.
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The process for growing
seaweed is simple, but requires a good deal of knowledge about
the environment. Choosing the right spot to grow the seaweed can
be the most important step. The water depth, movement,
temperature, and salinity (saltiness) must all be taken into
account. And you’ve got to watch out for sea turtles, sea
urchins, and rabbit fish – they love to eat seaweed too!
Euchemia cottonii in particular grows best in warm, shallow, and
salty waters.
Once an appropriate location
is chosen, two bamboo poles are anchored there on the ocean
floor, with nylon string strung underwater between them. Seaweed
seeds or small pieces of actual seaweed are tied to the string
and left to grow for a few months. Once they have grown large
enough, parts are cut off to be processed into carageenan. The
rest of the plant is left to grow back until it is again large
enough to be cut.
The harvested seaweed is
spread on a flat surface in the sun and left to dry for a few
days. Once it is dry, the salt is removed by sieving the seaweed
with mesh screens. Then the dried seaweed is washed and ground
into small particles. And that’s it – you’ve got usable
carrageenan! Now you can take it from here with your Make Your
Own Gummies Kit, and see how carrageenan is made into gummy
candy – just by boiling it in water and adding sugar and
flavoring. Pretty neat, huh?
But wait, there’s more! Did
you know that carrageenan is the secret ingredient in many of
the products you use every day? That’s because carrageenan is
capable of so many different things, from thickening liquids to
making foods taste richer to keeping dairy products from
separating. Here is just a small list of the types of products
in which carrageenan works its invisible magic: ice cream,
cottage cheese, toothpaste, soy milk, sandwich meat, and
shampoo. And let’s not forget gummy candies!
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Now, most gummy candies you
buy in the store aren’t made from carrageenan – instead, they
use gelatin, which is made from animal bones. Gelatin works just
as well, but it leaves people who don’t want to eat animal bones
(like vegetarians) out of luck. And we think that’s just not
fair, because gummy candy is just so much fun to eat! So we’ve
made our Gummies Kit using carrageenan -- it’s better for
vegetarians, better for the environment, and better for the
seaweed farmers in the Philippines. Believe it or not, a world
of good can come from one yummy little gummy!
