Description

Chondrus crispus, commonly known as Irish moss or carrageen moss, is a small, perennial red alga of the family Gigartinaceae, native to the rocky intertidal and subtidal zones of the North Atlantic Ocean, from the Brittany coast of France and the British Isles through Iceland to the Maritime Provinces of Canada. Harvested by Irish coastal communities for centuries as a famine food and folk remedy — particularly during and after the Great Famine of 1845–1849 — the dried thallus has been traditionally boiled with milk and honey as a strengthening, respiratory-soothing preparation. The algae is a natural source of carrageenan and iota-carrageenan polysaccharides, along with iodine, potassium, and trace minerals. Now a globally traded functional food ingredient.