What Exactly Is Sea Moss and Where Did it Come From?

Sea moss is a common yet generic name given to a variety of different species of seaweed, but they are, in fact, very different from one another. They are known by several different botanical names and are identified by their look, texture, and waters from whence they’re harvested. This is need-to-know information if you’re wanting to identify authentic sea moss.

Chondrus Crispus, Euchema Cottonii, and Gracilaria are the more popular species commercially available on the market today, but they’re all referred to as ‘sea moss’ which makes it impossible to educate the curious or purchase a specific kind because many people think that all sea moss is the same or should look a certain way when this isn’t the case.

The species, Eucheuma Cottonii and Gracilaria, (shown above) grow abundantly in warmer waters, which is why you can obtain them from different parts of the world and they’re more accessible than other species. Typically you can find them in:

• The Java Sea

• The Celebes Sea

• The Solomon Sea

• The Caribbean Sea, and

• the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans

The waters that they grow in are normally consistently flowing open ocean currents, and they tend to be much clearer and cleaner waters too. While Chondrus Crispus is a species of seaweed which is rarer, by comparison, it tends to grow more slowly in the cooler waters of the Northern Atlantic, making it more difficult to harvest or obtain.

So, why has sea moss become a trend and many people are classifying it as a superfood today? Where exactly did this all start?

The History of Sea Moss

Chondrus Crispus, also known as Irish Moss, Carageenan, or Irish Carraigín was named Irish Moss because the Irish consumed a lot of it in the 1840s during the Irish Potato Famine. This is the original Irish Moss.

It became a primary source of sustenance for the Irish people who lived in coastal areas between 1845 and 1849 during the height of the famine.