Seaweed, tradition and new flavours in Lofotr

20 April 2026

Last week, Lofotr Viking Museum invited to two events focusing on seaweed, driftwood and marine resources. Here, both visitors and employees could learn how knowledge from the past can provide new perspectives on sustainability today.

Research from the past

On Thursday evening, around 45 participants gathered for the lecture Seaweed, driftwood and tradition – knowledge from the coast, where researchers Shalen Prado and Dawn Elise Mooney from the University of Stavanger shared insights from the research projects SEARCH and MARGAIN.

Through the lecture, the audience learned how seaweed, kelp and driftwood have been important resources in coastal communities throughout history. Both as food, material and a part of daily life. The researchers also showed how archaeological methods can be used to uncover traces of this use of resources. And how this offers a new understanding of life along the coast in the Viking Age.

The engagement from the crowd was great. Many questions were asked about, among other things, how to identify different types of seaweed. How to assess whether it is suitable for food. And what role marine resources have had in local history.

Taste of the sea

In addition, Angelita Eriksen from Lofoten Seaweed gave a presentation about the start-up of the company and the work of developing products based on resources from the sea. The evening ended with tastings of several of their products, which the audience showed great interest in and greatly appreciated.

From lecture to practice

On Saturday, the experience continued with the event Seaweed in Practice. Where the topics from the lecture were lifted into a more practical setting.

Throughout the day, visitors could both see, smell and feel different types of seaweed and kelp. Learn more about how the resources are used. And taste fresh ingredients from the sea.

One of the highlights was the cooking demonstration with Shalen Prado and Dawn Elise Mooney. They made both soup and oatmeal with seaweed as an ingredient. The audience got to taste the dishes afterwards and experience how seaweed can be used as a natural part of modern cooking.

Click here for the recipe for Oatmeal with honey, nuts and seaweed from Lofoten Seaweed.

Further research

After the demonstration, samples were also taken of the food that the researchers will use further in their research work. The results from this will provide even more knowledge about how marine resources can be understood. Both historically and in the face of the sustainable food production of the future.

In connection with the SEARCH project, the journey continues to Tromsø (UiT), where Shalen Prado will retrieve samples of remains from objects found during the excavations at Borg. The goal is to track what the people who lived there actually ate. With a particular emphasis on plant-based diets and the use of seaweed and kelp. Samples will be taken to the University of Stavanger for further analysis, and the results are expected to be available in a report by the autumn of 2026.

The future

Through these two events, the audience not only heard about the past use of seaweed and marine resources. But also experienced how the knowledge is still relevant today. With research, dissemination and taste experiences, the resources of the sea were put at the centre. An important part of both cultural heritage and future thinking.