Latok @ Sabah

Latok ( Caulerpa lentillifera ) is a species of ulvophyte green algae from coastal regions in the Asia-Pacific.  It have been traditionally eaten in the cuisines of Southeast Asia, Oceania, and East Asia.

Traditionally, C. lentillifera were harvested directly from the wild. The first commercial cultivation of C. lentillifera was in the 1950s in Cebu, Philippines.  Commercial cultivation was followed by Japan in 1968, where it was cultivated in tanks in the warmer waters of Okinawa.

 

This seaweed is one of the favored species of edible Caulerpa due to its soft and succulent texture.  Instead of leaves, the alga has bubbles that burst in the mouth, releasing a taste of the ocean.