Producer: Gimme Seaweed
Location: San Rafael, CA
Found at the Littleton Co-op: dried seaweed snacks
Website: gimmeseaweed.com
Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month is celebrated worldwide to bring awareness to and honor the cross-sector contributions made by people of such cultural background. And that includes impacts in our food system! While foodies of all backgrounds collectively contribute to what we eat, how we eat, and how we produce food, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders have faced widespread systemic barriers and erasure from history, making AANHPI an important time to acknowledge and celebrate those contributions and the people behind them. Furthermore, we celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month in May specifically to commemorate both the anniversary of the first arrival of a Japanese immigrant on American soil, and the completion of the Trans-Continental Railroad, whose Western-half was primarily completed by Chinese laborers. While the contribution of Asian Americans to such events was not recognized until much later, both demonstrate the obstacles, and perseverance, that deem AANHPI Heritage Month worthy of annual recognition. Read more about Littleton Co-op’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work here.
You might read the brand name Gimme Seaweed and hear the sounds of children reaching for the crispy snack packets in the Littleton Co-op’s aisles saying “gimme, gimme!” However, founder Annie Chun’s USDA Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified seaweed products play on the Korean word for seaweed, “gim.” She grew up in central Seoul, Korea, where food from the sea was more common than food from the land. A household staple was seaweed that her mother would dry and roast in her house. She knew that seaweed was not only delicious, but also packed with vitamins and fiber, and deserved to have a larger place in the American diet. After selling her first company (you may recognize her “Annie Chun’s” noodle kits) she took on the challenge of introducing seaweed to the US market with husband Steve Broad. Furthermore, she wanted to take it out of grocery stores’ ethnic food aisles. Today, she continues to adapt her childhood snack for new generations across the country to enjoy a crispy and healthy snack.
Organic seaweed growth naturally has benefits to oceanic habitats by reducing water acidification and habitat creation for various species, but Annie Chun has now taken ocean protection to a further level. Through Gimme Seaweed’s partnership with rePurpose, every purchase of Gimme helps fight plastic pollution, brings ethical waste management to underserved areas, and economically empowers waste workers.
Status of product availability at the Littleton Co-op, and labeling of producers (such as local, Black-Owned Business, NH-made, etc) and product status or ingredients (gluten-free, vegan, etc) is based on available information at time of publication. The food world is an ever-changing landscape and information presented here may not reflect the most up-to-date information available.
