Irish Moss

Chondrus crispus, commonly called Irish moss or carrageenan moss, is a species of red algae that grows abundantly along the rocky parts of the Atlantic coasts of Europe and North America. Fresh specimens are soft and cartilaginous, varying in color from greenish yellow through red to dark purple or purplish brown, and its principal constituent is the polysaccharide carrageenan, which makes up 55 percent of its dry weight alongside nearly 10 percent protein and about 15 percent mineral matter, with the alga rich in iodine and sulfur. Because of its abundant cell wall polysaccharides it forms a jelly when boiled, holding 20 to 100 times its own weight in water.