Umi-budo

Umi-budo shimmers like tiny jewels in shades of green that range from pale jade to deep moss. These miniature 'sea grapes' or 'sea caviar' are a delight to behold. When you bite into them, the turgid little capsules pop in your mouth, offering a satisfying crunch before releasing their briny goodness across your palate.

These clusters of extraordinary sea vegetable (scientific name: caulerpa lentillifera) can also be found in Okinawa, the Philippines (known as lato or arosep) and Malaysia (known as latok). In the Philippines, after being washed in clean water, it is usually eaten raw as a salad, mixed with chopped raw onions and fresh tomatoes, and dressed with a blend of fish sauce or fish paste (locally called bagoong) and vinegar. 

The pond cultivation of these sea grapes has been very successful on Mactan Island, Cebu, in the central Philippines, with markets in Cebu and Manila. About 400 hectares of ponds are under cultivation, producing 12–15 tonnes of fresh seaweed per hectare per year.