Podcast Summary: Hoy por Hoy | Al dente — ¿Sabor a mar sin usar pescado?

Date: December 4, 2025
Host: Àngels Barceló
Featured Speakers: Ainhoa Gi Regoitia, Ángel León
Main Theme: Exploring how to capture the authentic flavor of the sea without using fish or seafood, focusing on plant-based and innovative culinary techniques and ingredients.

1. Episode Overview

This episode of Al Dente dives into the fascinating world of recreating the taste of the sea—el “sabor a mar”—in the kitchen without relying on fish or seafood. Inspired by Fernando Neira, a food allergy sufferer, and set against a global and historical backdrop, the hosts discuss sea-scented ingredients like algae, plankton, and salt-tolerant plants, as well as techniques from Korea, Japan, Spain, and beyond.

2. Key Discussion Points and Insights

A. The Challenge: Savoring the Sea without Seafood

• Inspiration: The segment is inspired by Fernando Neira, a music critic with a severe allergy to fish and shellfish.
  • “Me he sentado a su lado muchas veces en comidas... he sido consciente de lo complejo y comprometido que es para él tener alergia [al pescado y marisco, y más siendo gallego].” —Ainhoa Gi Regoitia [01:40]
• Personal Reflection: Ainhoa expresses curiosity and determination: How can someone enjoy the taste of the sea without seafood?
  • “¿Cómo puede saborear el mar sin comer ni pescado ni marisco?... El mar ofrece opciones.” —Ainhoa Gi Regoitia [01:55]

B. The Vegetal Ocean: Plant-Based Alternatives

• Ingredients: Highlighting plant marine flavors found in algae (kombu, nori, wakame, lechuga de mar), salt-loving plants, and even certain terrestrial vegetables.
  • “El sabor marino también vive en las algas, en las plantas salinas, en las ortiguillas... desde Japón hasta Cádiz.” —Ainhoa Gi Regoitia [02:41]
• Techniques: References to both ancient and modern methods across cultures.
• Spanish Innovation: Special mention of Chef Ángel León’s work with marine plankton:
  • “Aquí tenemos en España un cocinero... León, que se dedica a eso.” —Ángel León [02:52]

C. Recipe Spotlight: Risotto de Plácton con Berberechos

• Step-by-step Practical Guide: Ainhoa outlines how marine plankton can create a sea flavor—even if traditional shellfish (berberechos) are excluded for allergies.
  • Detailed technique using kombu broth, marine plankton, and/or lechuga de mar.
  • “Si no ponemos los berberechos solo con el plankton sabría suficientemente muy bueno.” —Ángel León, considering allergy needs [06:32]
• Inclusivity: Suggests the same dish for those allergic, replacing seafood with sea lettuce.

D. Oceanic Flavors Around the World

• Korea: Extravagant use of algae in dishes like Mieoc guk (wakame soup) and broths (dashima) based on kombu seaweed.
  • “Una de las más emblemáticas es la Mieoc guk, una sopa tradicional hecha sólo con alga, aguacame, ajo, soja y un caldo muy ligero.” —Ainhoa Gi Regoitia [08:40]
• Spain: Use of native and invasive algas (codium), ortiguillas (sea anemones, though not vegetarian), and ancient Mediterranean traditions.
  • “En España se considera una especie invasora [al codium], pero ellos las consumen, nosotros no.” —Ainhoa Gi Regoitia [11:39]
• Technique Tip: Toasted nori gives depth to broths and rice dishes, as does the addition of miso for extra umami.

E. Not Just a Trend: Global and Historical Context

• Iceland: Use of dulce algae in traditional breads and butter, showing it's not just a modern trend.
• Mexico: Spirulina utilized in coastal town cuisine, though personal taste varies!
  • “La espirulina... a mí me resulta repelente. Cuando voy a algún restaurante... siempre digo, no me gusta la espirulina.” —Ainhoa Gi Regoitia [16:15]

F. Sweet Sea: Marine Flavors in Dessert

• Adventurous Pastry: Explores the use of seaweed in confectionery—nori-infused chocolates, kombu ice creams, and complex desserts that balance maritime and sweet notes.
  • “Hay pasteleros que utilizan el alga nori pulverizado y aportan ese toque salino o marino a un chocolate.” —Ainhoa Gi Regoitia [16:51]
  • Reminiscing about a kombu caramel apple tart from Aponiente:
    • “En Aponiente, cuando comí allí una tarta tatín... caramelo de alga y manzana con un helado de croissant... Me gustó.” —Ainhoa Gi Regoitia [17:27]

3. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Versatility of Seaweed:
  • “El mar habla muchísimos idiomas y no todos tienen que ver con el pescado... las algas son muy políglotas del sabor marino.” —Ainhoa Gi Regoitia [07:35]
• Food Innovation with Plankton:
  • “Este vegetal que es un poco la invención de Ángel León... un ejemplo de desarrollo y de innovación dentro de la cocina del mar, más allá del pescado.” —Ainhoa Gi Regoitia [13:46]
• On Tricking the Palate:
  • “Yo puedo engañar a mis invitados, puedo ponerles un arroz que sabe amar sin decirles cómo lo he hecho y conseguir que no se den cuenta.” —Ángel León [14:07]
  • “Puedes y no tienes que drogarlos, ¿qué te parece? Es legal.” —Ainhoa Gi Regoitia [14:18]

4. Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:34] Inspiration for the episode: allergies and the quest for marine flavor
• [03:27] Risotto de plácton con berberechos (step by step)
• [06:40] Alternative with lechuga de mar for those allergic
• [07:35] Alga-based flavors and historical culinary context
• [08:40] Korean seaweed cuisine: Mieoc guk and dashima
• [10:27] Seaweed in Spanish and Korean cookery
• [11:58] Spain and the Mediterranean: ortiguillas and traditional uses
• [13:46] Modern Spanish innovation: plankton and fermentation
• [14:21] Tricks for an umami-packed vegetal broth
• [15:50] Icelandic and Mexican uses of algae
• [16:47] Sweet applications: desserts with maritime notes
• [17:27] Example: Kombu apple tart at Aponiente

5. Tone and Style

The episode is conversational, playful, and knowledgeable, balancing technical details with humor and cultural anecdotes. The hosts bounce off each other with curiosity and a clear appetite for culinary discovery.

6. Takeaways

• “Sabor a mar” is possible—without fish or seafood—using a vast array of marine plants, experimental techniques, and inspiration from world cuisines.
• Seaweed is a multi-tool for cooks: broths, rice dishes, desserts, even as hidden “umami bombs.”
• There's a broader tradition (beyond veganism or food allergy) that values the flavors and resources the ocean provides, vegetal included.
• Creativity and tradition merge stunningly in modern Spanish cuisine, as illustrated by the innovative work of local chefs.

Final Thought:
Whether allergic, vegetarian, or simply open to new flavors, the ocean’s taste is for everyone—a spectrum best explored with an open mind, a stocked pantry of sea vegetables, and plenty of culinary curiosity.