Sergio García started this new direct seaweed sales project for food in 2020.

Eating seaweed may sound very strange the first time you hear about it, but what if it turns out that regular consumption of seaweed has many health benefits?

Essential nutrients that are easy to absorb, vitamin B12, 10 times more calcium than milk, help control blood sugar levels, antiviral properties, strengthen the immune system… and they don’t cause weight gain!

When you know all that and discover that in Vigo there’s a brand called Capitán Alga, which offers five varieties of seaweed perfect for eating, the natural thing to do is head to their website to buy out their stock—but first, you need to learn their story.

The project of a team passionate about the sea

Sergio García, its founder, already felt connected to the maritime environment of Vigo from a young age, being used to encountering large amounts of seaweed during his swims in the estuary.

As part of a practical exercise in the International Trade program, the idea was born to create a project to commercialize seaweed, and thus in 2017 HQ Seaweed emerged, the collecting and processing company with which they began selling seaweed from the Rías Baixas internationally.

But they wanted to go further and be able to nationalize their seaweed, so in March 2020 they launched Capitán alga. In Vigo, the product is not yet fully established, but there is growing interest in this superfood.

An organic and locally sourced product

They bet on local Galician products; they themselves harvest the seaweed in the areas of Vigo, O Grove, and A Illa de Arousa, never more than 100 km from their facilities. During low tide, they put on their wetsuits, collect the wild seaweed, take it to their center on Avenida do Aeroporto, and package it themselves.

Their seaweed is “wild and organic,” always harvested in authorized and certified areas.

Supporting small local businesses

Through Capitán alga, they sell to individuals but also work with small bulk stores and retails or shops that distribute organic products.

Since the start of the lockdown in March, they have launched a collaboration with some fishmongers in the markets of Vigo. At La pescadería de mi barrio and O lar do peixe, both in the Teis market, and also at Mariscos Victoria, Capitán alga products can be found. “We have great confidence in market products and small retailers. Besides, seaweed pairs excellently with fish,” says Sergio García.

On their website, they have a section with easy seaweed recipes, ready in five minutes. From codium tempura to salmon with a wakame base. They also offer a section where, through a simple three-question quiz, they create a personalized menu of five seaweed recipes for the week.

The epidemiological situation has greatly affected them as a company. They also work with hospitality businesses, supplying them with seaweed for their recipes, so the restrictions and closures have led to a drop in seaweed sales.

Looking ahead to 2021, they only hope the situation improves for the new harvesting season, to establish their product in Galicia and reach the Asian continent, where seaweed is a regular part of the cuisine.