CONSTELLATIONS // Monster Moss Shakes
by Diana Lu • photos by Eva Wo
Rasheed Ajamu’s father won’t stop talking about sea moss. “He loves it!” Ajamu says. “I definitely know a lot of his opinions on it because he frequently tries to get me into it.”
Ajamu’s father is a recovering addict and was diagnosed with diabetes in 2015. “Since he’s been clean,” Ajamu says of his father, who is a contractor, “he’s been doing different things to take care of his health.” He started taking sea moss as a supplement two years ago, and has since maintained a healthy weight. Could it have been other lifestyle changes? “We’re eaters in my family. … He doesn’t work out, I know that much!” Ajamu laughs. This got the 25-year-old community organizer behind Phreedom Jawn—a digital information hub for Philadelphia’s Black community—thinking. Ajamu was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in April. “Now I’m thinking about trying sea moss,” he said.
Ajamu started seeing people drop hashtags about this trending superfood and beauty ingredient a few years ago, but even more so during the pandemic, including from a list of celebrities with gorgeous skin and luscious hair who swear by it. “People want to get away from Big Pharma [and are] interested in natural resources,” he says. “Sea moss and elderberry have risen in cultural relevance. … I don’t think I’ve seen a bigger conversation about those two things that are… cultural to the Black community.”
What is this thing that we thought we knew but never really thought about? Sea moss is having a moment. Yet it’s always been there, your reliable friend—you just hadn’t realized how hot and talented they were—keeping things stable, literally. Carrageen, a derivative of sea moss, is a common food stabilizer. It’s in cottage cheese, barbeque sauce, and infant formula. It manages to be nutrient-rich with low caloric value, and unlike gelatin, it’s vegan.
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