75 



in Honolulu, as every native family living on or near the beach gets 

 its own supply of algse fresh from the sea whenever it is desired. 



VALUE OF SEAWEEDS IMPORTED BY ORIENTALS INTO HAWAII. 



The Japanese and the Chinese of Hawaii use a large quantity of sea- 

 weed of various kinds, either prepared in various ways or simply 

 roughly dried. The Orientals seldom use the Hawaiian algee, as they 

 prefer that cured and prepared in their own country. This is sold 

 only in the Chinese or the Japanese grocery shops. 



Most of this imported seaweed comes from Japan ana is either kombu 

 or wakame and its various preparations. The Jajpanese consular report 

 for 1904 says the amount of seaweed sold to Hawaii and to the United 

 States was as follows: 



Japanese seaweed sold to Hawaii and the United States, 1904- 



Nearly all the seaweed preparations described by Hugh M. Smith in 

 his Report of the Japanese Seaweed Industry are sold here in Hono- 

 lulu by the Japanese grocers to our Japanese population. The dif- 

 ferent seaweeds and their preparations vary in price from 5 to 30 

 cents per pound retail. The lianten costs about $1.60 or $1.65 per 

 pound, and it is extremely light for its bulk. Amanori sells in small, 

 thin sheets about 5 by 12 inches for 10 cents per dozen sheets. These 

 sheets are almost as light as paper. Kombu and wakame are sold in 

 the largest quantities, and are boiled to serve with rice, fish, and 

 vegetables. 



The Chinese import large quantities of seaweed each year, but there 

 are no consular reports that give the amount or its value; so the fol- 

 lowing figures are taken from various estimates made by intelligent 

 and responsible Chinese merchants who import this commodity. There 

 are probably 70,000 to 80,000 pounds of seaweed, valued at from 

 $10,000 to $12,000, imported and sold annually by the Chinese grocers 

 of Honolulu. 



The prices of these Chinese seaweeds vary from 10 or 15 cents per 

 pound retail for che choy or kum choy {Porjphyra i^erforata and P. 

 7iereocystis), 7 to 35 cents per pound for toi choy, hoy tai, and san 

 choy (all Laminaria sp.), and 75 cents to $1.50 per pound for fat choy 

 (Nostoc comm.une flag elll forme). 



The most expensive varieties of seaweed are not sold in large quan- 

 tities, and of course are purchased only by the most prosperous class 

 of Chinese for feasts and holidays. Fat choy is used in very small 

 ~.,„,,f;fiao o« it. is extremelv light, swelling greatl}^ in water when 



