{super cool sea beans}

i’m going to bet not many of you have seen these little guys.  in all my 9 years of being around specialty produce, this was a first for me.  i like to look over the produce section this time of year and see “what’s new.”  that’s how i discovered kohlrabi…

these are sea beans.  the proper name is salicornia.  sometimes referred to as “sea asparagus,” these tasty delicacies were a must-try from the moment i spotted them!  i mean just look at how fun they are!  i tried them raw at first and i wish i could remember my exact reaction, but i will tell you this – i wasn’t expecting them to be salty!  then again… after reading the description i should’ve known – i mean they are from the SEA 🙂

as i was putting some into a produce bag to buy, a lady walked over and started grabbing some, as well.  “i love these!” she said to me with a smile of excitement.  “what do you do with them?  what are they?!”  i asked, so fascinated.  she went on to tell me about how she would just get them everywhere when she lived in alaska and out there they just saute them in a little oil or butter and lots of pepper.

the information on sea beans says you can eat them raw, blanch them, put them in salads, etc.  i knew they were a yummy snack when eaten raw, as i had munched down a good share over the course of a couple days… but i wanted to try them sauteed like the lady mentioned to me.

i didn’t blanch mine, i just rinsed them off really really well…

then threw them in with some chopped garlic in a little EVOO… sauteed on medium heat for about 8-10 minutes, until tender like asparagus…

they were delicious this way!  and the cute little sea bean salicornia kept their colour rather well.  they remind me a little bit of seaweed as far as flavour but the crunch is nice like a pickle almost… once sauteed they are similar to asparagus in texture but the saltiness cooks out a little and the pepper helps with flavour distinction, too!

have you ever tried sea beans?! if so what did you think and where did you find them?!

as per usual, i found this batch at whole foods market, where i find practically all my specialty produce.  i was extra surprised to see them in colorado of all places – i forgot to notice where they came from, i’d be so curious.

thanks for reading!!

Tags: colorful, cooking, cool, eating, food, food is cool, fun with food, produce, recipes, sea asparagus, sea beans, seasonal produce, specialty produce, unique food, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian