Finding Foodie Fun on Route One

It’s an overcast October afternoon on the coast just north of Cayucos, and my family is stepping through brisk, knee-deep water, snagging wispy pieces of seaweed as they float by on gently lapping waves.

“All you have to do is walk around the tide pools, and all of these fresh ocean veggies are just washing in,” explains our guide Spencer Marley, founder of Marley Family Seaweeds. He’s teaching us about “glean harvesting,” which simply collects what’s freshly been ripped off reefs and rocks by the currents, compared to more intensive aquaculture techniques. In addition to his job at Cal Poly, Marley leads these private tours and harvests seaweed commercially, selling his traditionally dried products at nearby farmers’ markets.

Minutes later, with a variety of crisp, savory seaweeds in our colanders, Marley is heating up onion, garlic, soy, and water in a pot on the beach along with leathery strips of kombu, which will be yanked out before eating. “It’s like the chicken stock of Japan,” said Marley, who grew fond of Japanese cuisine while growing up in San Jose, discovering nori wraps, ramen bowls, and other dishes that relied on seaweed for both nutrition and an umami kick. “I found out that the same species exist out here.”