DULSE

(Rhodymenia palmata), red seaweed found along both coasts of the North Atlantic; a salty confection made from this red algae is also called dulse. Shaped like the palm of a hand, it has the texture of thin rubber; both the amount of branching and size (ranging from 12 to about 40 centimetres [5 to 16 inches]) vary. Growing on rocks, mollusks, or larger seaweeds, dulse attaches by means of disks or rhizomes. It is commonly dried and eaten raw by North Atlantic fishermen; the flavour becomes evident after prolonged chewing. Dulse is eaten also with fish and butter, boiled with milk and rye flour, or as a relish. The gelatinous substance contained in dulse is a thickening agent and imparts a reddish colour to the food with which it is mixed.