These days, snackers increasingly are looking for a few things in the bites they buy. For one, more consumers are reaching for items that taste good but also are good for them in better-for-you snacks. Two, they also are hungry for new nibbles, in terms of products they have yet to try and flavors they haven’t yet tasted. Snacks from the Sea, a startup snack company, offers both of those consumer interests (and a few others) in its line of clean-label chips made from kelp.

To learn more about the company, its products, and its origins, Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery connected with Jennifer Murphy, founder of Snacks from the Sea.

Jenni Spinner: Could you please tell me about the kinds of snacks you snacked on as a kid, including the treats your mom whipped up?

Jennifer Murphy: Snacks were treats for special days or holidays. My mom made rice cakes with fillings, vegetable and meat pancakes, kelp chips, and tempura for special treats. Other snacks included rice crackers, flour crisps in various shapes, rice cakes like mochi, popped rice cakes, and hot cakes filled with sweet red bean paste. 

What I remember most is that many snacks were seasonal, and many snacks were whole foods that were minimally processed like roasted chestnuts, rice cakes, dried persimmons, or fried kelp. Additionally, the snacks were mostly handmade in small quantities at home or made locally. Of course, I was a little kid more than half a century ago in Korea and snacking has evolved and changed in Korea as well as in the U.S. My recollection of eating kelp chips in Korea brings out happy memories of my childhood. Several decades later as an adult, it became more meaningful for me to bring this healthy, whole-food kelp snack to everyone to enjoy.

JS: Specifically, please tell me about the homemade kelp chips she’d make—how did she put those together, and what was the taste and texture like?

JM: I remember enjoying them, but I do not remember all the details of making the snacks. Mother prepared the kelp for frying on a different day. On the day of cooking, she had kelp pieces ready to go, fried them, and dusted the fried chips with sugar. I learned later that the kelp had been rinsed, dried, and cut into bite-size pieces for frying on another day. The preparation requires time and patience. The fried kelp chips are like potato chips: crispy. My childhood version of kelp chips was sweet and crispy since they were dusted with sugar. My interpretation of kelp chips today includes various other flavors,– like pizza, chipotle, and salt & pepper, and soon-to-be sweet churro flavor!

JS: Kelp is a pretty common snack all over Korea—could you tell us a bit about the many ways in which folks enjoy it, including on special occasions?

JM: Kelp is a very common food item in Korea. It is traditionally used in kelp soup. The kelp soup is prepared when you don’t feel well, when sick, after childbirth, and on birthdays for longevity. We eat kelp soup as medicine to fortify our health as well as eat it as a comfort food like we eat chicken soup in the USA. Kelp is also used in seaweed salad and for cold kelp soup in the summer. 

JS: So you grew up munching on kelp all the time—how did you decide to make that leap from a homemade treat to turning it into a packaged snack?

JM: I did grow up munching on kelp chips and eating lots of kelp soup. The chips were reserved for special days – usually for birthdays. The chips were not readily available due to the time and effort required to prepare them. It was indeed a special treat when Mother made some chips. 

While busy raising children and running our household, I had a period when I was really exhausted and couldn’t recharge myself. I called my mom to ask if she had any remedy. She sent me dried kelp and told me to make kelp soup. In Korea, kelp soup is the equivalent of chicken soup here, especially when you’re sick or rundown. Since I was super busy with life, I never got around to making the kelp soup. Making soup was just one more chore to deal with. Once Mom figured out that I wasn’t going to make the soup, she sent me kelp chips and said eat this instead. After eating the chips, I felt way better. I felt like sharing this remedy with my friends who might need some “kelp help!” 

JS: Please tell us about all you went through in the trial and error and R&D process—what are some of the challenges in using real, minimally processed kelp rather than, say, freeze-dried or powdered kelp?

JM: Fresh kelp harvested from the sea spoils very quickly. Once harvested, kelp has to be iced, salted, or dried right away. The hardest part was finding the right kelp in good condition. I needed a supplier who could provide me with the washed, dried kelp. Kelp is a natural sea plant. Each blade is a leaf with varying thickness and size. In addition, each harvested crop has a variation in salinity and moisture level.

Also, it was very hard to find a co-packer willing to work with kelp. Co-packers were not familiar with kelp. I had an initial recipe worked out in my kitchen, but it required many trials to iron out the cooking method commercially. When making a bowlful of chips at home, the chips are tended carefully as they are fried. Whereas, when cooking a larger quantity in a commercial setting, it is difficult to modify the conditions as quickly. 

Finding a seasoning company for kelp-compatible flavors was a challenge as well since the minimum quantity requirement was very large. Furthermore, it was difficult to figure out what flavor might work with kelp. Kelp has an underlying umami, salty, bitter flavor that is unique. Think of chocolate or olives. We want a flavor that complements the kelp’s unique flavor and it is definitely a work in progress.

JS: Kelpie Chips are pretty unique—could you please tell us about the singular taste and texture, why they’re different than the seaweed snacks folks might be picturing, and some of your favorite ways to eat them?

JM: There are many kinds of seaweed just as there are many kinds of vegetables. We can think of vegetables such as carrots, lettuce, celery, spinach etc. Seaweed is a sea vegetable, and we can name nori, kelp, arame, bladderwrack, sea lettuce, etc., many types of seaweed. 

I think people are familiar with nori; it is found in sushi and the nori snack is sold as thin airy sheets. Kelp is another type of seaweed and kelp chips are an excellent way to eat kelp – ready to consume, easy to store and transport. Not all vegetables have equal benefits, and not all seaweed has the same health benefits. Kelp has a long history of medicinal use in Asia. Kelp is used to heal, nourish, and fortify in Korea. Kelp is also used in traditional Chinese medicine to balance yin-yang energy. 

How do I like to eat Kelpie Chips? Of course, you can eat them straight out of the bag. But they are great with spread, dip or condiments. Sweet spreads are delicious, soft cheese really complements our chips, and I like crumpled broken pieces over my salad or soup or any dish you want to enhance with kelp! You can also throw in a few pieces when you are making your smoothies. Use your imagination. Be creative. Find your own way to enjoy kelp and be healthy! 

JS: Then, what are some of the benefits of making your goodies out of minimally processed kelp? Feel free to talk about the health benefits, texture, taste; or anything that comes to mind.

JM: Our kelp is not processed at all. It is literally harvested out of the ocean, washed, dried, and cut into bite-size snackable squares. The squares are fried to make them edible (hence minimally processed) and dusted with seasonings (to make them tasty).

We are providing a way to enjoy natural kelp so you can reap all of its health benefits:

• Rich source of rare minerals and vitamins
• Blast of fucoidan, the new miracle superfood
• High in nutrients, low in calories
•  Promotes thyroid function and hormone regulation
• Helps regulate metabolism
• Healthy skin and hair (Why do you think there are so many beauty products with kelp seaweed?)
• Detoxifies your body from harmful toxins and chemicals
• Alkalizes your body
• Protects against free radicals
• Supports digestive health
• Modulates inflammation
• Modulates the immune system

JS: In addition to the health advantages of eating kelp, there’s also some sustainability benefits—could you please talk about that, and why it’s important?

JM: Kelp can grow up to 18 inches (45 cm) per day in ideal conditions. Kelp production does not require fresh water, pesticides, or fertilizers. It is the only food that has a negative carbon footprint. A Kelp forest can absorb 20 times more carbon dioxide than the same area of land forest and help increase the pH levels of water. 

The kelp forest provides food and shelter for marine species and plays a very important role in the marine ecosystem. Kelp forests provide a calmer habitat, reduce erosion, and decrease the current reduction and wave action on shore. 

JS: Snacks from the Sea is just getting started—could you please talk about your early successes, and what’s next for the brand?

JM: I sometimes can’t believe that I actually have a product to sell now. It has been such a long journey. My success would be that I have a wonderful product and I did not have to sacrifice my family and our home life to get here. Balancing all these things has truly been a learning experience. I am a big advocate for moderation and balance in life. 

I hope to teach all the health benefits of kelp and give everyone a chance to learn about kelp. It is truly a wonderful sea vegetable that everyone can and will enjoy.

Related: Snacks from the Sea launches sea kelp chips