The Vox Times Exclusive-" A refreshing and healthful summertime beverage from the Caribbean"

Culled from the sea, Trinidad's response to the late spring milkshake is currently essential for an excited frenzy all over the planet.

"I am a man of the sea." All right, $10 per bag! What do you want? A marchand (vendor) at a public market in Trinidad, one half of the twin island republic of Trinidad & Tobago, says, "Have some nice sea moss today." He carries bags filled with brownish seaweed strands. The Caribbean's most prized seaweed, sea moss, is likely to be made into a refreshing punch or drink with milk and spices by the locals.

Throughout the islands, sea moss punch is enjoyed year-round. Drinks high in vitamins are especially important for replenishing the body's nutrients in hot weather. Sea moss is inherently bland and has a faint taste of the sea. It has been used as a healing elixir by indigenous Caribs and Arawaks for centuries.

Sea moss requires careful preparation. It is first sun-dried to dry. According to John Lewis, who occasionally leads tours in the village of Matelot with The National Trust of Trinidad & Tobago showcasing sea moss and other treasures, "it's bound to last 10, 15, 20 years once you dry it and store it properly."

The dried sea moss is soaked, boiled, and cooled when ready for use, allowing the natural thickening agent known locally as "gel," agar, to emerge. Dried sea moss has been readily available for as long as anyone can remember, and "punch men" used to sell sea moss punch all over the islands. According to Lori Lee Lum,

a retired community education officer at the nation's Institute of Marine Affairs, "raw, dried sea moss is sold in markets and grocery stores, packaged with nutmeg, cinnamon, and includes a recipe on the label." Premade sea moss punch is so well-liked that it can be found in everything from big brands like Nestlé Supligen sold in tetra packs to bottled concentrates and pop-up smoothie shops. I started drinking it when I was a teenager. Ravi Sankar, owner of Karibbean Flavours, recalls, "There was a particular shop I would go to on most Saturdays and purchase a roti and cup of sea moss." Karibbean Flavours is a producer of Caribbean-made products that sells two tonnes of sea moss each month.

Sea moss is part of a long-standing tradition known as "bush medicine" that promises improvement for both sexes, with aphrodisiac properties for men and increased breast milk for mothers. "The benefits... have been appreciated for generations," says Lum. It was presumed to be great for generally speaking wellbeing [and] absorption. Iodine, which is essential for thyroid health and metabolism regulation, is abundant in the plants.

Sea moss punch, flavored with soursop, ginger, and turmeric, is one new beverage that has emerged as a result of the younger generation's renaissance of a healthy lifestyle. It can be used to thicken ice cream, desserts, custards, and puddings due to its inherent thickening properties. The ferns are sometimes used by Lewis to make sea moss cake, and they have even been used to make soap by hand.

Sea moss punch follows a straightforward recipe, similar to a milkshake: Combine ice, milk, spices, sweetener, and sea moss gel. The flavor that comes out is similar to the comfort and richness of Christmas eggnog. The specific flavors and their amounts are the genuine place of distinction. Cinnamon and Angostura bitters are favored by some. Lewis and other people only used grated nutmeg. Nutmeg and ocean greenery remain forever inseparable. "Spice it up," he says, pointing out that he only tends to a few nutmeg trees for this purpose.

"Sea moss, the main ingredient in sea moss punch, actually refers to a number of distinct species of red algae that grow all over the region and taste similar. "Dr. Farahnaz Solomon, a marine biologist and research officer at the Institute of Marine Affairs, explains that while hundreds of edible seaweed species naturally grow in the Caribbean, only about ten are harvested for food." Gracilaria and Eucheuma, two specific species, constitute the majority of the region's sea moss and are well-suited to mariculture, or the cultivation of sea moss on long strands in the ocean. In the 1980s, St. Lucia started the practice, followed by Grenada and Dominica. However, the best and most valuable sea moss in the Caribbean can only be found in a single area of Trinidad, stretching from the north-eastern coastal towns of Toco and Matelot to Blanchisseuse. Here, an exceptional types of ocean greenery (Gelidium serrulatum) develops and should be gathered the hard way. " According to Lum, "it is the only place in the Caribbean where this type is used... superior to any of the varieties used as sea moss in the region."

For a number of reasons, Gelidium serrulatum is regarded as the region's best sea moss. The gel is thicker and of higher quality. Additionally, the yield is higher," Solomon clarifies.

This sea moss is unique in the environment as well. According to Solomon, who previously attempted to develop the sea moss industry in Tobago but was unsuccessfully working with the Buccoo Reef Trust, it is unsuitable for cultivation because it prefers more wave action and constant exposure to the elements. Wild and uncontrollable, filling in rebuffing conditions, Trinidad's unique ocean greenery must be scrounged.

The north-east coast of Trinidad is a potent combination of silence and ferocity. The tiny town of Blanchisseuse gradually gives way to a winding road with rainforest on its verges. Black rocks protrude into the ocean, and beach houses cling to the rough, palm-lined shoreline that is battered by waves. Routinely washed away by the beast power of tropical downpour, the street is, now and again, obstructed. Maybe this distance has permitted

ocean greenery to flourish. The waves occasionally recede from the jagged cliffs and reveal sandy beaches. During low tide, burgundy algae protrude from the sharp rocks, glistening in the equatorial sun. Lacey and beady in appearance with padded, greenery like shapes, it seems as though the dried out strands sold at the market. " Sometime[s] it is copious, yet we don't get it when the ocean is unpleasant… There are a great deal of risks in gathering ocean greenery - you could wind up in trouble," says Lewis, highlighting the inborn dangers of rising tides and tricky territory.

During the dry season, from January to May, when the sea currents are strongest, sea moss is harvested by carefully cutting just above the base of the plant to allow it to regenerate. However, improper harvesting, in which collectors reach for the easiest-to-find sea moss and rip it from its foothold, has contributed significantly to the depletion of wild stocks over time. Climate change and the recent scourge of sargassum, a brown seaweed that floats on the surface of the ocean and smothers beaches, have also been blamed for the decline. The seaweed has experienced a resurgence in popularity at the same time that native sea moss stocks have decreased. According to Lum, sea moss is now

promoted as a superfood with numerous health benefits. People all over the world are now becoming familiar with an old-fashioned Caribbean ingredient that can be found in trendy health food stores. In fact, a frenzied craze has developed as the health benefits of sea moss have become widely known, with celebrities like Hailey Bieber and Kim Kardashian supporting it. In the US, ocean greenery smoothies can bring up to $20, however made with the cool water types of red green growth (Chondrus crispus), otherwise called Irish greenery.

Sea moss is a lingering reminder of simpler times in Trinidad. When we were young men, sea moss was our thing after school. Lewis recalls the lucrative pastime and says, "I was eager to take the sea moss to try to make a little dollar so I could go back to school looking bright, with a little cash in my pocket."

He has high hopes for the future. We figure out the worth of ocean greenery. It means a lot to us. We want to support it, and a lot of people want to learn."

Presented By "Kennedy Lucas & Associates

BY K.L.P Entertainment

The Vox Times Exclusive-" A refreshing and healthful summertime beverage from the Caribbean"

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