I sea bacon - the vegetarian & vegan alternative to bacon (REVIEW)

***REVIEW***
I was recently contacted and asked if I'd like to try a vegan alternative to bacon called 'I sea bacon'.

Really, seaweed that tastes like bacon? It does sound so unbelievable that I really wanted to try it. So I did.

I Sea Bacon - the vegan alternative to Bacon


Now I know that bacon is often one of the foods that vegetarians and vegans most miss, however, I stopped eating meat at the age of 16 so unless bacon actually tastes like Frazzles then I'm not going to be able to tell you if it's the same taste. However, my hubby stopped eating meat much more recently and a bacon sarnie is definitely top of his miss list.

So what is this new bacon alternative?


I sea bacon is a 100% wild, organic seaweed that turns into bacon when you fry it. 


I Sea Bacon - the vegan alternative to Bacon


Honestly, it does. 

Straight out of the packet it's a hard seaweed substance, that definitely tastes like seaweed. It's even a slightly red colour when raw and dried. 


I Sea Bacon - the vegan alternative to Bacon


I was sceptical about the claims that it turns into 'bacon' obviously not bacon but a good alternative! 

But when it is cooking you get ... 


I Sea Bacon - the vegan alternative to Bacon

The smell ...

It smells like bacon, yes it has that aroma that tantalises so many peoples taste buds. I really wish there was smell'o'vision - this really smells like bacon.


The crispiness ...

It goes crispy like bacon ... really crispy and light and has a great crunch. 


The taste ...

The all important part. It doesn't really matter what it looks like if it tastes like bacon. And yes it tastes like bacon. Yet it's not bacon it is seaweed.


Seaweed Bacon

A magical seaweed, if you like, that turns from its reddish dried colour, into green bacon when you fry it. You can use it on anything that deserves a crunchy, salty, smoky kick. Or use the soft leaves as a flavour boost in salads, pasta or anything else. It’s vegan, organic, low carbohydrate, gluten free and sustainable.


How do you eat 'I sea bacon'?


In all of my years of being a veggie I have tried many 'bacon' alternatives but have yet to find one that I like. I usually find they taste like cardboard and I'd rather the dish just didn't have that ingredient. So how would seaweed bacon taste?

So far we have we have had a meatless ...

... bacon sarnie ...



I Sea Bacon - the vegan alternative to Bacon - bacon sarnie


... bacon and egg muffin ...



I Sea Bacon - the vegan alternative to Bacon - egg and bacon muffin


... bacon and sausage sarnie ...



I Sea Bacon - the vegan alternative to Bacon - sausage and bacon sarnie


... carbonara pasta dish ...



I Sea Bacon - the vegan alternative to Bacon - carbonara pasta


... and a full English breakfast with crispy 'bacon'.



I Sea Bacon - the vegan alternative to Bacon - full english breakfast


It is available to buy online or you may be lucky and find it in your local Vegan / Vegetarian Store.

When I first looked at the price I thought it seemed quite expensive. It's just under 7 Euros a packet but we have eaten all of the above and there is still at least a third of a packet left, so it does seem pretty good value as you do get quite a lot of 'I sea bacon' for your money.

I really enjoyed the bacon sarnie on its own but hubby much preferred it with other ingredients. Either way, it is really quick and easy to good, fills your kitchen with an amazing smeland it's a great way to add a bacon flavour to a dish without having to eat meat.

According to Seamore who make 'I sea bacon', seaweed bacon is considered the most sustainable food on the planet. It requires just sunshine. No fresh water, land, fertiliser or pesticides.

What's your favourite bacon flavoured food?

Deb x

Disclosure: We were sent a free packet of 'I sea bacon' to try but were under no obligation to write about it. However, it tastes so good that I want to let you know!

10 Comments

  1. wow that seems almost to good to be true!! Seaweed is really good for you too!

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  2. Ooh, i will have to tell my other half about this as he is vegetarian. However, he has been since he was around 10 so I'm not sure he will remember what bacon tastes like anyway! 😂

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  3. Ooh, I will have to tell my other half about this as he is vegetarian. However, he hasn't eaten meat since he was 10 so I don't think he will remember what bacon tastes like anyway x

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  4. Oh wow this sounds so cool! I'm a vegetarian and have always had those meat free bacon strips that you fry but sometimes they can taste just a little off. I'm excited to try this alternative! x

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  5. I'm not a vegetarian but I am really keen to try this - their are some great alternatives out there these days!

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  6. This looks so cool! I'm a total meat lover but I really like the concept of being able to fake a taste like this! So interesting x

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  7. AnonymousJuly 22, 2017

    My other half is vegetarian though he stopped eating meat aged 10 so I'm not sure if he'd remember what bacon Ben tastes like x

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  8. Gosh, I'm intrigued by this and will have to see if I can find it to try. Looks very un-bacon like but sounds good!

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  9. Hans VerbeekAugust 29, 2017

    I have it too. As a part time vegetarian I had the opportune chance to compare it.
    Not only does it not fry but burn unless you soak it in water first (which the packaging neglects to mention), it does not taste of bacon. It has the umami, sure, but the rest of the complete bacon taste is missing. Also it tastes of all the horrid stuff you find in seawater.

    Maybe with some gene splicing and cultivating in clean tanks it could become a real bacon substitute. But for now it's not going to convince any doubting meat eater.

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    Replies
    1. Just goes to show we all have different tastes. Mine definitely didn't burn but crisped up nicely when fried and I didn't soak it in water first. As someone who doesn't eat bacon it is great to have a substitute and I'm still eating it.

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