Algae have been used in cooking for thousands of years, especially in the Orient.
The production of ”nori” in Japan and ”laminaria” in China are of great commercial value. 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 Palmaria 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 specialty 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 addditive for poultry, pigs, cows, horses and fur animals.