Algae have been used in cooking for thousands of years, especially in the Orient. The production of nori i Japan has a commercial value of 5.000 million USD and in China about 20 million tonnes of brown algae (Laminaria) are harvested. Even in Europe, although more commonly eaten in the past there are still a variety of culinary uses of several species of algae. One of the most appreciated species is Palmare palmata which is eaten raw together with fish, potatoes, or butter or which can be boiled with water or milk to form a porridge. Recently there has been a revival of the interest in algae as food specially in the United States, where cookery books on algae food have been published. Algae have also been used as a feed supplement for domestic animals e.g. in Scandinavia. In Norway there is an industrial production of algal meal which is used as a feed additive for poultry, pigs, cows, horses and fur animals.
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