Edible seaweed refers to marine algae that are safe and nutritious to eat. There are thousands of seaweed species, but the most commonly eaten types include kelp (such asLaminaria digitata, the species used in Algee products), nori, wakame, dulse, and sea lettuce. Seaweed has been a staple food in East Asian, Scandinavian, and Celtic cultures for centuries and is now gaining popularity in the UK and Europe as a sustainable superfood.

Seaweed does not taste "fishy". Kelp, the type of seaweed used in Algee products, has a savoury, mildly salty flavour known as umami. It is similar to the depth you get from a good stock, soy sauce, or aged parmesan. When added to food, it enhances and rounds out existing flavours rather than overpowering them.

Seaweed meets the criteria that most nutritionists associate with the term "superfood": it is exceptionally nutrient-dense relative to its calorie content, it provides nutrients that are difficult to obtain from other plant-based sources (particularly iodine and B12), and it offers these benefits in a whole, minimally processed form. Research published in Nutrition Reviews confirms that edible seaweeds provide a broad spectrum of essential vitamins and minerals.