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Parts of the Dabberlocks
Holdfast to sporophyll — what to take, what to leave, and why.
Dabberlocks (Alaria esculenta, sometimes called Atlantic wakame or winged kelp) has distinct parts, and knowing them is the difference between harvesting well and harming the plant. The plants grow individually or clustered together on rock, each anchored by its own holdfast.
The parts that matter
- Holdfast — the root-like anchor gripping the rock. Never take it; without it the plant is gone for good.
- Stipe and midrib — the tough spine running the length of the blade. Fine chopped small, or dried.
- Blade (the wings) — the tender olive wings either side of the midrib: the best eating, fresh or dried, and the star of our dabberlocks pickle.
- Sporophylls — the small paddle-shaped fronds at the base. These carry next season’s spores.
Harvesting for next year
Make a clean cut 3–4 inches above the sporophyll and leave the sporophyll intact to ensure next season’s harvest. Be selective: fully mature blades grow up to 2 metres long and 15cm wide, so just a few blades are needed for a good meal. This is the “cut, never pull” principle in action.
Want to learn this standing in the kelp instead of reading about it? Join a workshop on the East Neuk shore — dates and booking here — or take home Jayson’s 52-page e-book Thriving in the Intertidal.