What Is Spirulina?

I’ll admit that it took me a long time to get used to the idea of eating seaweed. The thought of consuming something that gives me the heebie-jeebies when it brushes up against my leg in the ocean was a big hurdle! But when you confront your food fears, more often than not you are treated to a pleasant surprise. So, when I saw this thing called spirulina, my immediate reaction was “Ick!” But, I steeled myself and took Henry V’s advice: “Once more unto the breach, dear friends! Stiffen the sinew, summon up the blood, disguise fair-nature with hard favour’d rage!” Anyway, if you’re curious about spirulina, we’ve got all the answers for which you seek. 

What is spirulina?

Spirulina is algae. Hey, where are you going?! We’re steeling ourselves, right? Right?!

Specifically, spirulina is a dried version of several kinds of cyanobacteria; you can tell from the name that they are cyan, or blue-green, in color. These cyanobacteria grow in warm water—both fresh and salt—that have an elevated pH level. The “spiral” part of the name becomes apparent when the bacteria is viewed under a microscope; there is a unique corkscrew shape to each molecule. 

In the wild, spirulina looks like, for lack of a better word, slime. If you’ve ever sat by a babbling brook and watched water gently cascade over rocks covered in a bright green grass or moss, it’s kind of like that. Beautiful imagery but perhaps horrifying to consider eating it.

However, people have been eating spirulina for centuries. Different cultures throughout Mesoamerica harvested spirulina for food up through the 16th century. There are also much later reports of food made from spirulina in the African country Chad. It seems like people all over the world have parallel good ideas.

These days, spirulina is used primarily as a food source for animals like aquarium fish and poultry, often appearing as a supplement in their daily feed. But there is also a burgeoning industry surrounding the production of spirulina for human consumption, both as a health supplement and as a way to address food insecurity. The rationale: It’s cheaper to make than maintaining livestock and it’s extremely protein-rich. There are even scientists considering it as a food source for long-range space missions.

What is blue spirulina?

In many ways, blue spirulina is the same as the usual green version. However, it is bright blue in color, has a milder taste, and is made by extracting a specific protein from the cyanobacteria used to make the green.

What is spirulina made from?

The cyanobacteria is the base for spirulina, but you don’t just scoop it out of a river with your hands. Most commercial spirulina is harvested from special farms. It starts in these large pools that look like the now-popular green juice health trend.

This pool is a culture designed specifically to encourage spirulina growth. Once the pool hits the sweet spot, the accumulated cyanobacteria is separated from the culture, leaving a big pile of slime. Seriously, it looks like dark green applesauce or something. 

That spirulina slime is then turned into a powder, which is used in a variety of foods, such as smoothies, granola bars, energy balls, or salad dressings. Or you can just mix it in a glass of water!

What does spirulina taste like?

Like seaweed, the taste of spirulina will take getting used to. I think it is best described as grass that has been steeped in the ocean; it’s earthy, salty, and a little sulphuric. If you were to plop a scoop of spirulina powder into a glass of water and chug it down, you may find it unpleasant. However, as an ingredient in a smoothie or juice, it can be hidden pretty well.

What is a spirulina cracker?

Again, the comparison to seaweed continues. A spirulina cracker is a lot like the dried seaweed snacks in the grocery store. However, because spirulina is not as solid as seaweed, the crackers are often a combination of ingredients, meaning they can either look dark green and plant-y, or look more like a cracker with specks of green.