Abstract
A brief review is presented concerning wakame, Undaria pinnatifida, one of the most popular seaweeds used for food in Japan. Although it has been cultivated since about 1940, full-scale cultivation occurred after 1955. As methods for providing ‘seed stock’ and of processing the harvested sporophytes progressed, the yield increased rapidly. The main areas of cultivation are in Japan (e.g. Sanriku, Naruto), Korea and China, while ‘wild’ U. pinnatifida has been introduced into France, New Zealand and Australia. The total world yield of wakame exceeds 500 000 t fresh weight. Cultivated and harvested Undaria is boiled and salted (thus becoming green) and refrigerated; in the factory, it is removed its foreign matter and salt and dried. After checking for quality, the product is packaged in forms convenient for cooking and eating.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Akiyama K (1965) Studies of ecology and culture of Undaria pinnatifida (Harv.) Sur. II. Environmental factors affecting the growing and maturation of gametophyte. Bull. Tohoku Reg. Fish. Res. Lab. 25: 143–170.
Akiyama K (1977) On the Olpdiopsis disease of juveniles Undaria pinnatifida in field culture. Bull. Tohoku Reg. Fish. Res. Lab. 37: 43–49.
Akiyama K, Matsuoka M (1986) Cultivation of Undaria pinnatifida. In Ohshima Y (ed.), ‘Senkai-Youshoku’. Taiseishuppan, Tokyo, 541–565 (in Japanese).
Floc'h JY, Pajot R, Wallentinus I (1991) The Japanese brown alga Undaria pinnatifida on the coast of France and its possible establishment in European waters. J. Cons. int. Explor. Mer 47: 379–390.
Hara M, Akiyama K (1985) Heterosis in growth of Undaria pinnatidida (Havey) Suringar. Bull. Tohoku Reg. Fish. Res. Lab. 47: 47–50.
Hay CH (1988) An alien alga in Wellington harbour. New Zealand Environment 57: 12–14.
Hay CH (1990) The dispersal of sporophytes of Undaria pinnatifida by coastal shipping in New Zealand, and implications for further dispersal of Undaria in France. Br. phycol. J. 25: 301–313.
Hay CH, Luckens PA (1987) The Asian kelp Undaria pinnatifida (Phaeophyta:Laminariales) found in a New Zealand harbour. New Zealand J. Bot. 57: 329–332.
Ishikawa Y, Akahira H, Yamaguchi H (1992) Morphological characteristics of the wakame collected from Hokkaido. Fish Genet. Breed. Sci. 17: 19–30.
Ishikawa Y, Saga N (1989) The disease of economically valuable seaweeds and pathology in Japan. Current Topics in Mar. Biotech. 215–218.
Ishikawa Y & Saga N (1990) On the research of tolerant strains against the disease of seaweed by STD method. Proc. 55 Ann. Meeting Bot. Soc. Jap. (Shizuoka), 306 (in Japanese).
Iwasaki T, Sato J (1984) Progress and problems in the cultivation and processing of Undaria pinnatifida. The Food Industry 27 (2): 28–34 (in Japanese).
Kanda T (1936) On the gametophyte of some Japanese species of Laminariales. Sci. Pap. Inst. Algol. Res. Fac. Sci. Hokkaido Univ. 1: 221–260.
Kurogi M, Akiyama K (1957) Studies of ecology and culture of Undaria pinnatifida (Harv.) Sur. Bull. Tohoku Reg. Fish. Res. Lab. 10: 95–117.
Migita S (1967) Studies on artificial hybrids between Undaria peterseniana (Kjelim.) Okam. and U. pinnatifida (Harv.) Sur. Rep. Bull. Fac. Fish. Nagasaki Univ. 24: 9–20.
Pérez R, Kaas R, Barbaroux O (1984) Culture expérimentale de l'algue Undaria pinnatifida sur les ctes de France. Sci. Pche 343: 3–15.
Pérez R, Lee JY, Juge C (1981) Observations sur la biologie de l'algue Undaria pinnatifida (Harvey) Suringar introduite accidentellement dans l'Etang de Thau. Sci. Pche 315: 1–12.
Sanderson JC (1990) A preliminary survey of the distribution of the introduced macroalga Undaria pinnatifida (Harv.) Suringar on the east coast of Tasmania. Bot. mar. 33: 153–157.
Shinmura I (1985) Morphological characteristics and productivity by interspecific hybridization in Undaria. Fish Genet. Breed. Sci. 10: 27–35.
Sudo S (1948) On the release, movement and attachment of the spore of Laminariales. Bull. Jap. Soc. Sci. Fish. 13: 123–128 (in Japanese).
Taniguchi K, Kito H, Akiyama K (1981) Morphological variation on Undaria pinnatifida (Harvey) Suringar — I. On the difference of growth and morphological characteristics of two types at Matsushima Bay, Japan. Bull. Tohoku Reg. Fish. Res. Lab. 42: 1–9.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Yamanaka, R., Akiyama, K. Cultivation and utilization of Undaria pinnatifida (wakame) as food. J Appl Phycol 5, 249–253 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00004026
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00004026