Spirulina

This colorful “sea-food” was used for centuries anciently. According to records, the Aztecs scooped up this algae into their boats. And Aztec messengers may have eaten it on their long runs. In the 16th century, Spanish invaders discovered that the Aztecs in the Valley of Mexico were collecting matter or techuitlatl, from the blue lagoons and drying it into “cakes.” Fast forward to 1940, when the Kanembu people of Northern Africa were seen harvesting spirulina along the shores of Lake Chad. In the late 1960s, spirulina started getting noticed for its bright color and amazing nutritional content. The following decade, researchers began examining it as a possible source of inexpensive protein. Today this powerhouse of nutrition grows in nearly two dozen countries and is consumed in more than 70 nations across the globe.