I had never heard of this stuff until two recent articles in the two local dailies. Then -- Bam! -- next thing you know its everywhere. Alan Wong is using it. The chefs at Mariposa in Nieman Marcua are using. So what the heck is sea asparagus? It's a more marketable name for . Wanda Adams, food doyenne of the Honolulu Advertiser, does a really nice package of this new "it" ingredient incuding profile of aqua farmer who grows the stuff on shallow ponds in Kahuku, talks with chefs and even a coupla recipes (poi stew with asparagus -- yum?). Apparently, chefs in the Mediterranean and the Pacific Northwest had long prized this seaweed for its crunchy texture and salty, crisp flavor. You can even buy it at supermarkets in Hawaii, where its being marketed by Nalo Greens. Just don't call it sea pickle. Ahem. Visually, it does look -- crispy! It kinda reminds me of the fiddlehead ferns, which also taste like asparagus, that are fairly common on island menus.

—Alex, 09/06/06