Crispy Seaweed

[rozthatwas]

My Grandson, who is a great cook, went to our local Sainsburys the other day. Amongst other things he bought some very clearly labelled "Amoy Crispy Seaweeed". After he'd used it in a particular dish, we were not very impressed with the taste. On looking closer at the packet we found we had eaten "shredded Spring Greens" I phoned Sainsburys who said that was the accepted form for crispy seaweed. Has anyone else come across this blatent mis-nomer, and what steps do you think I should take to stop such cons?

[Hawkwalk]

crispy seaweed is cabbage in most places I know and is accepted as such. I dont think we have the correct type of seaweed here and cabbage probably tastes nicer.

[pastafreak]

Who is the manufacturer? Maybe you should deal with them rather than the shop. Though if it says seaweed on the packet you would expect seaweed ( or sea vegetable)IN the packet!

[pastafreak]

PS--try a brand called CLEARSPRING---it is REAL seaweed...can be found in healfood shops. And calling cabbage seaweed is against trade descripions!

[pastafreak]

sorry!!...descriptions

[MustangLady]

Crispy Seaweed is basically fried shredded spring greens. If you order it from a chinese takeaway, you will get exactly the same thing. I know it is mis-leading calling it crispy seaweed, but that is what you get! Think it is as Hawkwalk said, that we don't have the correct type of seaweed here and cabbage is generally used as a substitute. It does clearly state it on the packaging if you read the ingrediants and description below the name, so they were not hiding the fact it was only fried spring greens.

[rozthatwas]

Thankyou all for your answers. I've certainly learned something. However, I still think it is a big con to call it Crispy Seaweed. The manufacturer was Amoy Blue Dragon. I certainly don't agree with you Hawkwalk that Cabbage tastes nicer, but it was nice of you to bother to answer.

[Hawkwalk]

I dont like seaweed so it tastes nicer to me.

I bought a toad in the hole and was dissapointed to find out it was not made from toads!!

See, not a con but just some things are called something that they are not.

[indianwells]

Similar to Bombay Duck. The first time I ordered it in an Indian restaurant I was a bit taken aback to be served a bit of smelly dried fish!

[rozthatwas]

I really appreciate all your answers, but one fact emerges, there really is genuine 'crispy seaweed' I have now Googled the said C.S. and it can be made with pak choi, curly kale or savoy cabbage and of course spring greens. There was however a genuine C.S. there from a Japanese firm called Tao Kae Noi. So all is not lost. I still think it is a con, as there is such a thing as the real stuff.

[mrs_overall]

I think the message here is to read the ingredients if you're buying a food you are unfamiliar with. The list of foods which are misnomers is endless...toad in the hole is a good one, as is hotdogs, scotch pancakes, devils on horseback, birds custard, butterfly buns, scotch broth, fish fingers,and my all time favourite misnomer food - spotted dick.

[vivandorron]

I agree, Crispy Seaweed is a misnomer. In my area of the U.K. we have laverbread,which has nothing to do with bread but is genuinely made from seaweed. It tastes delicious but does look a bit like cow-dung: some folk say it tastes like a dung dish; the silly moos; How do they know?!!!.............Ron.

[cardi88]

isn't the main thing whether you enjoyed it or not? if not dont buy it again and take away the fact you've learnt something about chineese cuisine - if you did enjoy it get it again, why have you let something so trivial wind you up so much that you'r planning to complain? Its not a con as the ingredients are clearly stated, thats the name of the dish not the ingredients.

[rozthatwas]

Dear Cardi88,I did say earlier that I didn't enjoy it, as it didn't taste of seaweed. In fact, it didn't really taste of anything. My Grandson bought the pack, and as youngsters do, he just read the main heading 'Crispy Seaweed' and brought it home. I do not consider it trivial that people are selling things under false labels. In my mind 'Crispy Seaweed' is not a dish as such, it is an ingredient. I have enjoyed these answers, and think Theanswerbank is a very interesting webpage. I hope you do too.

[vivandorron]

Good on yer rozthatwas. I agree with your sentiments....Ron.

[chinois]

So you're complaining about something you bought without knowing what it was? It's your/your son's ignorance that's the issue. You cant complain if you dont know what it's supposed to be.
If i was you i'd be a bit embarrased, not shouting my mouth off.

[rozthatwas]

Dear Ron, Thankyou for your support ,and to Chinois may I put you right on a few facts. (a) I didn't buy the said Crispy Seaweed. (b) My grandson, not my son bought it. (c) I have been eating Chinese food for over 50 years, so I do know what Seaweed should taste like. (d) my grandson is a professional sailor, and has eaten his way round the world a few times, so he also knows what seaweed tastes like.
I am not answering any more comments from now on, so thankyou all for your time. As far as I am concerned this correspondence is now closed

[TheBishop]

If he's such a great cook with food knowledge gained from around the world and you've eaten chinese food for 50+ years, how come you didn't know that traditional crispy seaweed was made with greens?

[vivandorron]

Knock it off folks! The first time I bought Crispy Seaweed was in the honest belief it was such.

In China it is made with genuine seaweed.

http://www.goodhousekeeping.co.uk/index.php/v1 /Chinese_crispy_seaweed

[chinois]

(a) I didn't buy the said Crispy Seaweed.
As i said, it's the ignorance of whoever bought it or asked for it to be bought that's the issue. Try reading the second part of this sentence again (from the word OR onwards).
(b) My grandson, not my son bought it.
Fairly sure the relationship's not the issue either. Read the answer to A again.
(c) I have been eating Chinese food for over 50 years, so I do know what Seaweed should taste like.
Seems strange then that you buy amoy products. Ok, that was your grandson, but why were you surprised that supermarket packaged seaweed made by amoy tasted bad?

[Lime33]

shut up chinois