Researchers at Oregon State University have patented a strain of dulse, a red seaweed which grows on the coast of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, that has as unusual pork flavor when it is cooked.

Researcher Chris Langdon and colleagues at Oregon State University's Hatfield Marine Science Center obtained the new strain of seaweed after working on for the past 15 years.

"When you fry it, which I have done, it tastes like bacon, not seaweed. And it's a pretty strong bacon flavour," said Langdon.

The new strain, which looks like a transulent red lettuce, was originally created as a fast-growing, nutrition-packed food for abalone, a type of sea snail that is widely eaten in Asia.

“The original goal was to create a super-food for abalone, because high-quality abalone is treasured, especially in Asia,” Langdon explained.

But when Chuck Toombs faculty member in OSU's College of Business paid Langdon a visit, he noticed the tank of dulse bubbling away in his office, and had the idea to grow the aquatic crop for human consumption.

It is packed with minerals, vitamins and antioxidants, making it twice as nutritious as the more popular  kale.

"Dulse is a superfood, with twice the nutritional value of kale,' said toombs. "And OSU had developed this variety that can be farmed, with the potential for a new industry for Oregon."

Dulse has been widely eaten in Europe for centuries, but is less popular in the US, where there is no commercial operation producing it.

“In Europe, they add the powder to smoothies, or add flakes onto food,” Langdon said. “There hasn’t been a lot of interest in using it in a fresh form. But this stuff is pretty amazing.”

The researchers are now hopeful that the new strain will provide a thriving new local industry.

"Theoretically, you could create an industry in eastern Oregon almost as easily as you could along the coast with a bit of supplementation," Langdon said. "You just need a modest amount of seawater and some sunshine."